Downright Genius Gifts for Foodies *Genius-ly Simple*
We all know a foodie. They're the ones sitting on the kitchen floor moaning over an extra cheesy mac n' cheese casserole while the rest of the family is in a heated debate in the living room.
Urban Dictionary describes a foodie as such:
"A person who enjoys eating food, unlike everyone else, who hates food, thinks it's disgusting, and would never consider eating it.
Person #1: I'm a foodie; I love eating food!
Person #2: Wow, you're so unique. I hate food and wouldn't eat it even if I had to, to stay alive."
Their definition is a vast over-simplification, and we bet the writer has not sat across from "said type of people" and hid behind their hand in embarrassment as their dinner companion rant, raved, and made very odd sounds of pleasure at every bite.
Contrary to urban dictionaries, blatant disrespect, foodies they do exist separately from the rest of us food lovers. And if you ever try to date one, be prepared for them to pull out Google Maps and look at their list of to-go-to-restaurants, and never have a say.
Anyways, all of this is to say these people need a particular extra sort of gift this holiday season. These downright genius gifts for foodies need to be foodie-intrigue-proof!
Gift #1 Pasta Making Classes (or any cooking class.) First, check out The Strategists' 11 Best Online Cooking Classes. Virtual cooking classes may not seem fancy; that's why you need to select the absolute best quality online cooking classes the internet has to offer. The better the quality, the more genius this simple gift appears.
Gift #2 Imported Spices. The Spice House offers spice shopping by the region. Select spices from Latin America, The Middle East, The Caribbean, and many more. Buy some Ground Mace, commonly used to season Swedish meatballs. We love this site. A gift card would probably be best. Picture your foodie drolling as they scroll.
Gift #3 A Food Dehydrator. What's the point of a food dehydrator, you may ask? We only need to say two words: dehydrated fruit. Think of tasty apple chip snacks for the lunches and dehydrated slices of strawberries for homemade shaken ice tea! This device pays for itself when a small bag of dehydrated strawberries is selling for the same price, if not more, than a pack of fresh berries.
Gift #4 An Infuser. If Starbucks wild success taught us anything, it's that folks love infusions and flavors! This LĒVO II infuser infuses herbs into "oils, butters, and honey." Who knows, your foodie might become a beekeeper, infuse their honey, and sell it at the farmers market— all because of your gift! (Just make sure you tell them that you want a 10 percent cut of all profits by accepting your gift.) Or you know they might find a way to make cashew milk actually taste good.
Gift #5 Pantry Staples. It may seem overly simple, but this one is perhaps the best gift. Every gourmand emphasizes high-quality staples like oils, vinegar, and honey. But even for foodies, sometimes spending over a hundred dollars on oil isn't feasible, and that's why they make such great gifts. Try Brightlands' The Luminous Capsule, $88, or Acid Leagues' Big League Vinegar Kit, $49.
Gift #6 DIY Focaccia Art Kit. When a foodie sets the table, they go hard, and when a loaf of warm bread is laid atop simple linen and a large cutting board, game-over. It's carb-heaven. How about taking their baking to the next level? Get them a DIY Focaccia Art Kit, so they turn their bread into works of Instagrammable floral art!
Gift #7 Money. Need we say more because we both know they're going to use it to go out to eat, and they'll need enough to tip.