Have you ever had a gift of food? What was good or bad about it?

Frequently. And to be honest it’s kind of mixed depending on what exactly it is.

I was a bit skeptical when I got gifted Omaha steaks but they actually turned out to be really nice.

Likewise there are places that sell really high quality fruits. I think they are pretty good gifts because they are legitimately better than your average grocery fruits but way more expensive than anyone would normally be ok buying normally.

Then there is the “Peppridge Farms Basket” type of gift, the ones that have things like cheeses, sausages, and spreads, sometimes with cookies or crackers. These are really mixed in quality but to be honest they average towards bad. They can be great if you go through a specialty company but avoid big-name brands you can find in regular markets and generally expect to pay the big bucks for a decent one.

And for any of these keep in mind what kind of food the person in mind actually likes. If you never see them eating fruit they might not like to be gifted it, and some people really hate those greasy sausages and even cheese in general.

Personally speaking, though, if I were to be gifted food, I would rather it be something homemade. There are some really fantastic baked goods you can make that look impressive but are actually pretty easy to make. IMHO personalized gifts are always the best.

Last year my wife got me a gift voucher for The Fish Society and some fresh wasabi plants from The Wasabi Company which I suspect was her way of telling me I should make her sushi. If that was her plan, it worked. Was amazing. I'd never normally spend £50 on 1.5 meal's worth of high end fish but because it was a voucher I didn't have a choice and I very much enjoyed it.

In our house christmas isn't christmas without a tub of Artisan du Chocolat's salted caramels and usually I buy her some and her me. Which ends up with two tubs and that is fine by me. Artisan have the best chocolates I've ever eaten. Every year I nearly buy their advent calendar but it's £40 and that's a lot even for a company who charge £9 for a box of six chocolates.

I often buy people AdC chocolates, or sometimes Rococo for a change, because it's a very high end product that people mostly won't buy for themselves but is good as a gift/treat. Assuming the person likes chocolate, of course. I have a friend who doesn't and I found her a selection of cheeses one year instead.

As an aside, I do like the Sorted lads. They seem like genuinely nice people. I keep meaning to try their app.

Last year my partner got me a leg of Jamon!!! We lived in Spain for a while and really enjoyed Jamon, so when I opened up an entire leg, stand and knife I was pretty blown away. That said, it isn't as common here so people don't go through it the same way. In the end it became a little bit of a slog because we didn't want to waste it (kind of messed up towards the pig) and I still don't really fancy cured meats nearly a year later. It was incredibly fun though. My suggestion if we did it again would be to get a smaller leg and throw a party where that was specifically the main attraction so that it would get devoured.

Also, I usually get food based gifts from my mom every year. They are hit and miss but always fun. I backpack a lot so sometimes she leans on high end things I can take into the backcountry (like Stone Farms blueberry pancake mix) and other times it's fancy sauces and things. My favorite one ever was when I was in college and she got me a fancy balsamic vinegar, the kind that goes in the locked case with the expensive alcohol (I think it was $70). I have never been so happy with a gift, it was delicious and the bottle was gorgeous. I still think back fondly on it.

My partner and I often get each other cooking lessons for the holidays. It's ends up being a fun date night and is always a winner. This year she got me a class on olive brining and picking. It was phenomenal.

Lastly, when I'm low on cash I usually make food based items. Usually pickles, jams, or wine. They seem to land well and it seems like folks appreciate the extra effort. Particularly in grad school, it was nice to spend 15 dollars on pickles and get decent gifts for 5 people.

Just another thought for food gifts; check your local Asian markets, especially if you have a Japanese one. Japan has a unique culture of gift-giving so you can usually find very pretty boxes of cookies and sweets that are really inexpensive. They usually have at least a small selection year-round, but the best selection are seasonal (especially Lunar New Year, since that's big in China).

Akai Boushi is one of my favorite ones.

(Also, you owe it to yourself to try Taiwanese style pineapple cake)

My aunt used to send us a huge box of polish foods that she both bought and made; cookies, kielbasa, breads. It was amazing. My grandmother was an immigrant from Poland and my aunt and mother grew up eating these foods so it was particularly meaningful to get this box each year.

I've been gifted food many times at different points of the years.

A girl once went to my house with a box of chocolates with the purpose of getting back together. It worked. Not because of the chocolate, but it most certainly helped.

People know I love food so that's an easy way to make me happy.

Cooking works too.

Chocolates or breakfast baskets are a somewhat traditional gift on birthdays and other commemorative dates in my culture. It doesn't need to be expensive or sophisticated.

Not so much at Christmas though, just because you're already surrounded by food and getting more food would be a little weird. But it does happen.