Holidays are here and it’s time to get your shopping done. If you’ve got someone on your list who loves to travel, but also enjoys spending copious amounts of time in the kitchen—why not consider gifting them with travel-inspired spices this holiday season?
It’s a great gift idea for aspiring chefs or new cooks who are looking to experiment with new international and exotic flavors, spices, and seasonings. Allow them to take their taste buds on a trip around the world. Consider this gift as their flavor passport to travel from the comfort of their own kitchen—and perhaps they will take you along for the ride as a thank you.
Here are seven travel inspired spices that should be on your radar this holiday shopping season.
Make it a Basque-inspired night with chile powder from Boonville Barn Collective
Boonville Barn Collective a seven-acre farm sustainably grows unique, Basque-inspired chiles and produces unique chile powders, owned by Krissy Scommegna in the resource-rich Anderson Valley of Northern California. Piment d’Ville is their signature, California-grown version of Piment d’Espelette. Peppery, sweet, and mildly spicy, it offers a ton of layered flavor, without overwhelming heat. The Piment d’Ville Collection features a classic, spicy, and smokey version.
Around the world, while still at home with Savory Spice’s ‘Round The World Spice Collection
Encourage someone on your holiday shopping list to start a spice-filled adventure around the world by exploring traditional Indian food at home with Garam Masala and Chai Spices, then jet over to Asia with bold and aromatic Chinese Five Spice, then on to the Caribbean with multi-purpose Cuban Island Spice. And don’t forget to try the flavor-packed recipe for Za’atar Focaccia. Check out the ‘Round the World Spice Collection here.
Take a trip to Sicily with Bona Furtuna’s Sicilian spices
Dozens of Sicilian herbs and spices have grown wild on La Furtuna Estate for centuries. Because of Sicily’s unique location and climate, these varieties are far more resilient — and flavorful — than their heavily domesticated cousins. For the Italian-travel lover there’s a Cacio e Pepe Blend that’s steeped in Italian history, as cacio e pepe dates back to the days of the Roman Empire; or the Nepitella—a celebrated Italian herb regional to Tuscany. Utilized by chefs and nonnas throughout the country, the unique herb grows in abundance in the wild Mediterranean basin but has been cultivated and nurtured into domestic gardens due to its distinct and ebullient flavor.
Venture to Asia with Jacobsen Salt Co. x Fly By Jing Tingly Sichuan Salt
Zap your tastebuds with 54 hertz of Tribute Pepper tingle with this limited edition salt featuring Fly By Jing’s handpicked Sichuan Tribute Peppers and JSC’s Kosher Sea Salt. It can be sprinkled as a finishing touch, used as a dry rub, to rim a cocktail, or add it to a midday snack and let the electric Sichuan tingle light up every bite. Find it here. Want more? Check out their super umami-rich Furikake Seasoning that’s made with sea salt, seaweed, sesame seeds, sugar, and dried mushrooms.
Indulge in Middle Eastern meals at home with The Spice House’s Middle East Collection
If someone on your holiday shopping list is dreaming about being in a Turkish cafe, an Israeli taverna or a Lebanese canteen, dining at a Middle Eastern eatery, this is the spice collection for them. The special gift box includes four seasoning blends including a za’atar mixed with lemony sumac, nutty sesame, marjoram, thyme, and oregano to a Shawarma specific seasoning to a savory sumac perfect for hummus and other dips, and a Ras El Hanout Moroccan blend meant for meats and veggies. This Middle East collection of spices will bring those flavors to life right at home. Get the collection here.
Take a trip through life’s seasons with Your Resident Gourmet Cooks! inspired blends
Chef Jennifer Booker creates salt and spice blends inspired by a time or place in her life. Her Deep South SeasonAll is inspired by visits to her family’s farm in Mississippi, while the spice in Moulin Rouge Sassy Salt is a result of the year she lived in Paris. Her Baby It’s Cold Outside Chili Seasoning & Rub gets its inspiration from attending college in the Southwest, and the Duck Duck Chicken Poultry Seasoning & Rub is a spice blend she created when she made her family Thanksgiving dinner for the first time. Check them out here.
Feast on Indian flavors with PUR Spices Sweet and Savory Masala Gift Box
Globally inspired, bountiful blends create exceptional experiences, sure to provide a little zing to your holiday table. The woman-owned minority business makes everything in small batches in an allergen-free facility, free from additives, fillers, and top allergens – one terrific way this brand stands out from traditional offerings. Try their Sweet and Savory Masala Gift Box that includes a 1.8 oz. bottle of Milk Masala, Chai Masala, Mirch Masala, Green Chutney, Achaar Masala, and a reusable wooden spoon in a beautiful box ready to gift.
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