Any recommendations for a good mail-order food gift?

Michele Ludmer
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  • 29 Comments

29 Comments

TheFritschKitchen December 11, 2015
My M-I-L sent me a cinnamon grater plus some fresh cinnamon from Cinnamon Hill. I love it, the grater is beautiful and fresh cinnamon is amazing!
 
Nancy December 11, 2015
Fresh nuts, especially pecans from the South. So much better than grocery store or even bulk store supplies that rotate quickly.
 
max J. December 11, 2015
Is this treif? http://www.baconaddicts.com/products/bacon-lube-bacon-flavored-personal-lubricant
 
luvcookbooks December 10, 2015
Zingerman's strattu (tomato paste) is Soo good and not too expensive. The zang candy bars are nice for Michigan expats and small gifts. I also like the violet and walnut mustards.
 
Rupal P. December 10, 2015
Funny how I still like to look for this thread for advice years later -- even now! I finally took the Zingerman's advice for gifts for my brother and for my brother in law when they had new babies (the new baby basket that they offer). This may shock many on the thread but the recipients weren't huge fans of their gifts - in fact my brother gave a few of the foods back to me!

Generally, I find the items from Zingerman's pretty pricey for what you get - being near Philadelphia we have access to a lot of these foods, so I don't know if it is a regional thing, and I can't bring myself to pay $10 for a loaf of bread plus shipping. For those who do buy from Zingerman's and love it -- what items do you truly love?

Aside from that, I still like Shatila.com, also like Harry and David's (good value for $$), and am tempted to try Georgetown Cupcakes and Mah-Ze-Dahr bakery. Anyone with good experiences with these?
 
luvcookbooks December 10, 2015
Nueske's also ships Kringle, which are nice to have on hand for the holidays.
 
MMH December 9, 2015
www,great-alaska-seafood.com
 
Matthew December 9, 2015
I love sending gift baskets from Bella Viva Orchards because they have a great variety of dried fruit, nuts and other healthy snacks in them:
http://www.bellaviva.com/dried-fruit-gift-baskets
 
Pegeen December 20, 2012
Niman Ranch for meat gifts. Have also received good gifts from Omaha Steaks.
 
Pegeen December 20, 2012
If the person is a foodie, the demi glacé concentrates from More Than Gourmet are a wonderful gift. They also have a vegetable concentrate in addition to beef/veal, chicken, etc.
 
SMSF December 18, 2012
I've given and received bacon and ham from nueskes.com in Wisconsin.
They have mostly applewood smoked bacon and hams (the bacon is still my fave) and in the last couple of years have started making cherrywood smoked bacon. Oh my!
The shipping adds quite a bit to the cost, but most if not all of their products have to ship with refrigerated packs. Outstanding products.
 
sparkplug December 17, 2012
Gary West Meats has some amazing jerky - makes a great gift for men who are hard to buy for. My dad LOVED the jerky of the month club. www.garywest.com
 
CHeeb December 16, 2012
Speaking of pork...Benton's bacon from Madisonville,TN is to die for. It will become a family tradition.
 
bhs14422 December 16, 2012
BBQ! Pig of the Month BBQ sends incredible ribs, pulled pork and fun packages -- everyone I've ever sent one to has fallen in finger lickin love!
 
violist December 7, 2012
I also have sent many gifts from Zingerman's, but for artisan Italian products that are unique, though expensive, nobody beats Gustiamo.com
 
lloreen December 6, 2012
Harry and David pears are incredible - my grandmother sent them every year
 
Rupal P. December 6, 2012
Shatila.com makes lovely boxes of bakhlava and packages them nicely, and is quite affordable.
 
Rupal P. December 6, 2012
Shatila.com makes lovely boxes of bakhlava and packages them nicely, and is quite affordable.
 
Chanelle,Gontarz December 6, 2012
Tasterie has great mail-order boxes, with options for various allergies and dietary restrictions.

VeganCuts and ConsciousBox are also great options.
 
mainecook61 December 6, 2012
Luxardo maraschino cherries to put in a Manhattan. A teensy luxury worth every penny. Zingerman's has them. And have you looked at the excellent smoked salmon and other smoked fish things made by Ducktrap River in Maine? http://www.ducktrap.com/index.php
 
hardlikearmour December 6, 2012
Olympic Provisions has fantastic salami, and offers different sampler options. http://olympicprovisions.bigcartel.com/
 
shoresdiver December 5, 2012
Three words- Joe's Stone Crabs! Trust me, whoever gets them will go wild!
 
cdilaura December 5, 2012
We also have a great Spanish charcuterie collection gift set here: http://shop.food52.com/deal/20532/fermins-holiday-charcuterie-essentials-from-the-rogers-collection
 
cdilaura December 5, 2012
We'll be offering two fantastic heritage breed meat collections in the Food52 Shop tomorrow. Here's a preview, which you can access as of 12/6 12am ET:

http://shop.food52.com/deal/25279/bacon-and-porterhouse-heritage-breed-variety-tasting-collections-from-heritage-foods-usa
 
Omeletta December 5, 2012
I've used Omaha Steaks a few times and got great service & products-but I'll warn you, getting off their email list list has proved difficult!
 

Voted the Best Reply!

LLStone December 5, 2012
I only use Zingerman's http://www.zingermans.com/ Their stuff is really good, reasonably priced, and they ship their stuff very well. You can avoid any high shipping costs by buying from their flat rate shipping tab. I've never been disappointed. I send Zingerman's for funerals, weddings, thinking-of-you's; basically for whatever. And I love to "research buy" from them.
 
inpatskitchen December 6, 2012
I agree with LLStone. I send Zingerman's bread to friends and ever since my son left Ann Arbor for SF he gets the corned beef sandwich kit for his birthday.
 
drbabs December 5, 2012
I'm sure you'll get more up to date suggestions, but I posed a similar question a couple of years ago. Here are the answers: http://food52.com/hotline/809-i-just-spent-a-great-weekend-with-my-brother-and-his-family-they-love-to-cook-and-to-eat-i-d-like
 
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