The Best Food Gifts In 2022

When perusing different food gift products, there were multiple factors we assessed to come up with this list. Firstly and most importantly, having a wide range of different items for a range of tastes and preferences was important. We wanted to include as much variation as possible, from sweets and baked goods to savory gifts like cheese, meat, spices, dips, and even drinks.

Another aspect we considered was the type of gift. Many of these products are one-off purchases or single products meant to pack a punch, but we also wanted to include gift boxes, food subscription kits, and even meal delivery packages for a wider range of preferences. Price is also crucial since we wanted to make sure our list had affordable options, while still keeping some fancier items. When picking the final products, we consulted press reviews, product reviews from customers, and even celebrity endorsements.

If you think that chili oil isn't a good gift, then you are wrong on so many levels — especially when it's made by Fly By Jing. The brand also offers other sauces but the Sichuan chili crisp is the ultimate food gift for spice lovers. Made from all-natural Erjingtao chilis from Guizhou, the rare Tribute pepper, and nutty Sichuan Caiziyou, this 100% Sichuan chili sauce is nothing short of an umami adventure. Try these chili crisps with noodles, dumplings, and everything under the sun like eggs, pizza, and even ice cream, per the manufacturer's recommendation.

Over the past couple of years, this product has developed an almost cult-like following. Reviewed investigated whether Fly By Jing's chili crisps lived up to the hype. The outlet taste-tested it alongside a wide variety of foods like grilled cheese, ice cream, and salad dressing, finding that each combination was just as delicious as the last. Meanwhile, Taiwanese writer Nina Huang called it "one of the most mouth-watering condiments I've ever come across" with an explosion of umami, sweetness, and lingering smokiness that "leaves you wanting more," (via Food & Wine). The higher price is worth it for the quality of ingredients used, and a 6-ounce jar should last a month with continuous use.

Buy a jar of Fly By Jing Sichuan chili crisps for $15 on the brand's website as of September 2022.

We love gifts that give back to the community and support workers with livable wages. Diaspora Co. is paving the way for a new type of spice company, one that is both more conscious of its production methods and farmers and pays homage to the history behind the spices. Not only is it a company that makes a small but noticeable difference, but it also opens up a new world of rich and flavorful spices that doesn't even compare to the grocery store alternatives. Diaspora Co.'s best-selling spices like chai masala, Pragati turmeric, and Peni Miris cinnamon are worth the double-digit price tag. In addition, it offers flavor-packed spice seeds like fennel, nutmeg, fenugreek, chilis, and coveted Kashmiri saffron.

Infatuation reviewed Diaspora Co.'s popular turmeric and Sivathei chilies to see if this up-and-coming spice company exceeded the rave reviews. The Sivathei chilies — the seventh hottest pepper in the world — are so fresh that sprinkling too much on your dish could light a fire in your mouth, putting conventional dried chili flakes to shame. The turmeric has a beautiful color and sharp flavor that will make your mouth tingle slightly –– a sign that it's fresh. Any of the options are the perfect food gift for home chefs looking to spice up their spice cabinet.

You can buy individual spices starting at $10 or a sampler pack starting at $67 as of September 2022 from Diaspora Co.

Candy is a highly desirable gift — just look at every holiday celebrated by Western society. We get candy in our stockings for Christmas, confections at Halloween, and candy hidden in plastic eggs from the Easter bunny. However, it's nice to have a candy upgrade for the adults craving a sugary treat with a sophisticated twist. That's where Sugarfina comes in –– a "candy boutique for grown-ups" that makes for a luscious food gift for anyone with a sweet tooth (via Insider).

What set it apart from other candy brands are the picture-perfect packaging, high-end imported ingredients, and unique range of flavors (via HuffPost). Sugarfina struck gold with its line of cocktail candy –– booze-flavored renditions of childhood favorites like truly passion fruit gummy bears, maple bourbon caramels, champagne gummy bears, and single malt scotch cordials. Alongside cocktail candy, Sugarfina offers hundreds of candies like kombucha gummy bears, coffee-flavored items, and seasonal sweets, as well as kosher and vegan candy options.

One of Sugarfina's biggest attractions is the customizable bento box that can include between three and 20 different candy flavors and combinations of various trendy designs for every holiday and giftable occasion. Insider remarks that Sugarfina is the easiest way to obtain fun and elegant artisan candies that make a great food gift for all the candy lovers in your life.

Shop Sugarfina's candy gift box selection starting at $10 as of September 2022.

It's easy to end up in a snack rut. The same flavors of potato chips taste bland and everything in the grocery store blends together in an explosion of processed mediocrity. Universal Yums is a food gift for travelers at heart; snacks from around the world come together in one shippable and convenient subscription box. All you do is pick the size of the box, how often you want to receive shipments, and which country you want your first snack box to come from. Before you know it, you'll be taking a journey of flavors without having to leave your couch.

Some of the past boxes have included snacks from countries like India, Thailand, United Kingdom, Scandinavia, and Egypt. If you like a particular snack, such as tikka masala corn chips or caramel and garlic crisps, you can purchase them individually on Universal Yums' snack page. Subscriboxer tried the subscription box and loved its affordability, cute packaging, and the magazine explaining the snacks from the countries in question. 

The biggest complaint was that there was no way to filter snacks based on known allergens. Many reviews on Trustpilot also commented that the customer service was lackluster. Despite its pitfalls, Universal Yums makes for a great gift for adventurous snackers wanting to expand their palette.

You can purchase Universal Yums boxes starting at $15 as of September 2022.

You can't have a cheese board without some charcuterie and we aren't talking about your average pepperoni or sausage roses. Mercado Famous is serving up charcuterie shaved and sliced to perfection, produced by the finest Ibérico pigs Spain has to offer. The pigs are fed a diet of acorns and grassy pastures in La Alberca, Spain, to achieve a light texture and buttery taste high in omega-3 fatty acids.

Mercado Famous offers a small yet rich selection of à la carte cured meats, such as the jamón Serranía deli-style ham or the almighty 100% Ibérico jamón. There are also different types of sausage and chorizo including cured pork loin, chorizo Ibérico, and Ibérico salami. Of course, you could buy bundles based on your favorite cuts or you could get the ultimate charcuterie lover in your life a gift that keeps on giving –– a whole leg of cured Ibérico.

The Quality Edit indulged in the chorizo and jamón varieties and cherished the quality of meat, knowing that each slice was artfully cured and prepared. The chorizo Ibérico was their favorite, even though the jamón exceeded their wildest expectations, making it a no-brainer food gift to round out a perfect cheese and charcuterie board.

You can buy single-serve charcuterie packs starting at $8.95 or a whole leg of jamón on the Mercado Famous website for $300 as of September 2022.

Goldbelly is a food platform like no other, with hundreds of chef-made meals and delicacies available at your fingertips. It bridges the gap between food and emotion, allowing people to be connected to their favorite restaurants even from thousands of miles away. Goldbelly has been critically raved by publications like The Washington Post, Fast Company, Forbes, and The New York Times as the food escape that comes right to your doorstep.

Any purchase from Goldbelly would make for the perfect food gift for foodies who either hate cooking or who want to travel without having to leave their kitchen table. It lays out an expansive spread of curated food gifts, from Centerville Pie Co.'s chicken pot pie to Martha Stewart's legendary banana pudding. There are also restaurant meal kits from some of the most iconic eateries in the world, offering various cuisines like Mexican, BBQ, pizza, sandwiches, and more.

Reviewed took a deep dive into Goldbelly to see if it lived up to the hype, trying various comfort foods like cookies, Southern food, and even Margherita pizzas. They explained that Goldbelly was a way to connect to one's childhood or hometown restaurant favorites, making it the next best option to dining in the restaurant itself. In a sense, it relieves the kind of homesickness that can only be cured with comfort food.

Buy Goldbelly meal kits on its website ranging from $55 to $389.99 as of September 2022.