Culinary Culture
There are few things as special as preparing and sharing a magical meal with those you love—and many important items and ingredients go into making these memories. Whether you’re searching for a gift for a talented chef, aspiring cook, natural wine enthusiast, whisky expert or someone who simply loves to discover new flavors and styles, our Culinary Culture gift guide brims with new ideas for cooks and hosts. From recipe books to napkins, saucepans, syrups and snacks, there’s something here to please every palate.
Hero image courtesy of HAY
Saucy Hot Wok Set
Saucy Hot Wok Set
Up your cooking game with Our Place’s wok set and all the umami you need with a trio of Fly By Jing’s flavorful creations. The carbon steel wok is pre-seasoned, solidly crafted and features brass colored handles, a glass top, and a set of cooking chopsticks. The large steamer basket fits plenty of dumplings or a nice sized fish, and also includes liners. Well-designed, functional and substantial, it’s an ideal wok for most home cooks. It’s also oven safe up to 600º. Jars of Fly by Kings Sichuan Chili Crisp, Zhong Sauce, and Chengdu Crunch make this set an easy starter kit or thoughtful gift.
Added: February 2024
This product is sold by Our Place
InstaProbe Cooking Thermometer
InstaProbe Cooking Thermometer
This well-designed cooking thermometer outperforms others with its fast-reading technology (it features sensors on the outside of the wand, not just the inside) delivering results in half a second. The device features an OLED screen that clearly and brightly displays the temperature in the direction you are holding it. Whether you are grilling, frying, cooking on the stove top or in the oven, it quickly and easily performs. It’s magnetic, too, so you can store it where you need it for quick access.
Added: January 2024
This product is sold by Typhur
Heirloom Variety Box of Rare and Unusual Dates
Heirloom Variety Box of Rare and Unusual Dates
Rancho Meladuco has been our go-to farm for California grown dates. A great snack, an ingredient in a recipe, or an addition to your cheese board, you’ll also discover some new flavors along the way. Their new two pound box is, as the name suggests, full of pitted heirloom dates that are likely less well known and definitely harder to find. They grow more than two dozen varietals, including old-world and new-world varietals including Abada, Empress, Mariana, Tarbazal, Honey and Riley. Each Heirloom Variety box is filled with a mix of whatever is ready to be harvested and comes with a seed planting kit so you can grow your own date tree.
Added: January 2024
This product is sold by Rancho Meladuco
Hojicha Hot Chocolate
Hojicha Hot Chocolate
Hojicha tea and bean-to-bar chocolate deliver a fresh take for your hot chocolate in an unexpected combination that adds a fresh twist. The slight bitterness of the roasted green tea blends nicely with the 70% Camino Verde Ecuadorian chocolate. Originating at the San Francisco brand’s Kyoto café and also served in the San Francisco café, it’s now available, in limited quantities.
Added: January 2024
This product is sold by Dandelion Chocolate
Wool Dish Drying Mat with Linen Sleeve
Wool Dish Drying Mat with Linen Sleeve
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, this simple 100% natural eco-friendly wool dish drying mat outperforms most of its artificial / manufactured competitors. The wool is durable, sustainable, and biodegradable, absorbs moisture and is naturally resistant to mildew and mold. The simple linen cover is equally resistant to mildew and mold.
Added: December 2023
This product is sold by Sonoma Wool Company
Repour Wine Saver 10 Pack
Repour Wine Saver 10 Pack
This simple alternative bottle stopper made of recyclable plastic keeps an open bottle of wine fresh by removing the oxygen in the bottle. All you have to do is take off the foil seal and place it in your bottle. This set of 10 could save hundreds of dollars of wine from going bad. Many other product packages are available at all price points.
Added: December 2023
This product is sold by Repair
Champagne Brut Sous Bois
Champagne Brut Sous Bois
Champagne was originally made with the wine vinified in oak barrels before it was transferred to bottles for fermentation. Maturing in barrels gives the wine a deeper and more multifaceted character. This practice was largely replaced by vinification in steel vats given the ease and economics (this still makes great champagnes and nearly all champagne and sparkling wines you drink are made this way). Family-owned and operated Billecart-Salmon’s Brut Sous Bois translates to “Brut (a style of champagne) under wood” and is made from all three Champenois varietals—Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay in equal measure. Noticeably different on first nose, with its vanilla and fruit-forward notes, it’s a traditional, full-flavored approach that takes the maison’s already delicious liquid one step further. It’s great on its own of course and doesn’t need a special occasion to enjoy it, though it pairs very nicely with seafood. It’s as much a treat for your nose as well as for your mouth. We chose Wine.com as they deliver the most widely, but you can check your local spirit shop and other online vendors as the price does vary.
Added: November 2023
This product is sold by Wine.com
Liquid Kimchi
Liquid Kimchi
The masterminds at Acid League focus on bold flavors and innovative fermentation, with a taste- and design-forward delivery. Their Liquid Kimchi is exactly what it sounds like—a perfect accompaniment to an endless range of foods. Living Vinegar, Fermented Wiri Wiri Pepper Purée—and it only gets better from there.
Added: November 2023
This product is sold by Acid League
The Cowie Collection Glass
The Cowie Collection Glass
This chic spirit sipping glass was designed to showcase the spirit’s color, provide space for aromas, and to create a bit of “audacious” drama. Commissioned by Mortlach whisky and designed by Felicia Ferrone, it’s both technically compelling and beautiful to hold in your hand. Made of borosilicate, this collaboration is available in a limited edition. Price is for a set of two glasses.
Added: November 2023
This product is sold by fferone
The Ice Book
The Ice Book
Camper English’s latest book breaks down the methods to making clear ice at home. From squares to diamond cuts, inclusions and more—it’s literally everything you need to know about making ice to enjoy and to impress. Aside from its visual appeal, clear ice also melts more slowly and is surprisingly easy to work with.
Added: October 2023
This product is sold by Indiana University Press
Pasta Candle
Pasta Candle
Made by London’s Nata Concept Store for Big Night, this pasta candle possesses just the right amount of kitsch charm. A bit larger than the actual pasta shape and available in farfalle or fusilli, they burn for approximately 30 minutes, emitting a scent with notes of neroli, jasmine and orange blossom. An ideal host gift, this playful piece can be used as a fully functioning candle or a decor item.
Added: October 2023
Big Night
Sumac + Chili Spritz
Sumac + Chili Spritz
For those who like their alcohol-free drinks to still pack a punch, Ghia’s latest Le Spritz flavor combines sumac and chili for a slightly sour and hot beverage that’s extremely refreshing. Made with yuzu juice and white grape juice concentrate, it contains the extract of elderflower, chili pepper, sumac berry, rhubarb root, orange, rosemary and ginger. Ultimately it’s a tangy and spicy drink that can be enjoyed in place of a cocktail or any time throughout the day. Price is for a 12-pack.
Added: October 2023
This product is sold by Ghia
Colorado Hawk’s Nest Vineyard 2022 Sparking Blanc de Noirs
Colorado Hawk’s Nest Vineyard 2022 Sparking Blanc de Noirs
Colorado may not be the first location that comes to mind for American sparkling wine, though this bottle could change that. Crisp, fresh, just enough fruit—it’s an affordable, easy to drink sparkling wine that suits nearly any occasion or need. It’s great for gifting, too.
Added: October 2023
This product is sold by Ordinary Fellow
Apple Brandy
Apple Brandy
From family-owned and operated Shady Knoll Orchards & Distillery, this flavorful apple brandy is crafted from fruit grown on the family’s farm in New York’s picturesque Hudson Valley region. Shady Knoll does all processing, fermenting, distilling, barrel-aging and bottling on site. For the apple brandy, Shady Knoll ferments all the fruit naturally over the course of several months. The liquid is then double-distilled and aged for at least three-and-a-half years in new toasted American oak barrels. It’s then finished for four months in ex-Madeira barrels from Portugal. The result is an award-winning craft spirit with a delectable, layered profile.
Added: August 2023
This product is sold by Shady Knoll Distillery
Tally Pro Precision Scale
Tally Pro Precision Scale
Fellow is dedicated to improving the aesthetic and functionality of the coffee-making experience. Their latest product, Tally, takes on the simple scale and evolves it with a clean design and useful tech. Measurements are precise to the tenth of a gram and lightning fast and the USB-C rechargeable battery lasts for a total of 13 hours which is roughly equivalent to 100 brews. Tally can be used in different modes ranging from simple weight to “Brew Assist,” which guides you through the process of measuring the coffee and water to make the perfect pour-over. There’s also a timer mode that helps manage the interplay between how much water to use and how fast to pour it.
Added: August 2023
This product is sold by Fellow
Piruwa Kettle
Piruwa Kettle
Honoring 65,000 years of Australian culture, Breville has worked with Alison Page—a Wadi Wadi and Walbanga woman of the Yuin nation and founder of the National Aboriginal Design Agency—to create the Aboriginal Culinary Journey collection. Four different artists created original works for the collection; they each own the copyright to their works and receive royalties from the sale of the products. Further, Breville is donating 100% of the profits from this collection to be split between the National Indigenous Culinary Institute and an Indigenous scholarship fund at the University of Technology Sydney. A total of 10,000 units were produced with the goal to raise AUD$1,000,000. Shown here is the Piruwa Kettle by Yalti Napangati.
Added: August 2023
This product is sold by Breville
Blanc 2021
Blanc 2021
Bright but balanced, the 2021 Blanc from Ashes and Diamonds has been crafted with a blend of Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon grapes from three vineyards in Oak Knoll District and Yountville AVAs. Fresh and zesty, it has notes of citrus and green apple but balances out for a softer finish. This wine is certainly bold enough for pairing with all kinds of summertime fare, from seafood to meat and veggies from the grill.
Added: August 2023
This product is sold by Ashes and Diamonds
This Is Not a Cookbook: A Chef’s Creative Process from Imagination to Creation
This Is Not a Cookbook: A Chef’s Creative Process from Imagination to Creation
From celebrated chef Flynn McGarry—who first served tasting menus to guests in his early teens and opened the restaurant Gem in NYC at age 19, followed by 2022’s Gem Wine—This Is Not a Cookbook: A Chef’s Creative Process from Imagination to Creation is an illustrated book for young readers that’s boiling over with insight and encouragement. Designer Adil Dara contributed the charming illustrations and, thankfully, McGarry includes some of his favorite recipes.
Added: July 2023
This product is sold by Penguin Random House
Essential Kitchen Small Knife Set
Essential Kitchen Small Knife Set
This well-priced small knife set includes four key tools to make kitchen prep easier: paring, vegetable and serrated paring knives and a stationary peeler. Nothing fancy or technical to fuss about, Opinel simply makes products that perform well. The set comes in several colorways, and is a great gift.
Added: July 2023
This product is sold by Opinel
FUJI Japanese Whisky
FUJI Japanese Whisky
FUJI Japanese Whisky is one of historic Mt. Fuji Distillery’s newest products, created for and exclusively available in the US market. A blend of the brand’s malt and grain whiskies aged for an average of eight years in 100% American White Oak, the liquid is fruity on the nose, well balanced and well priced for the quality.
Added: July 2023
This product is sold by FUJI Whisky
Joule Turbo Sous Vide
Joule Turbo Sous Vide
Sous vide (French for “under vacuum”) is a technique for cooking food in an airtight container—a vacuum sealed bag or jar for example—in a controlled temperature water bath. Long a staple of high end dining, various tools have made their way to home kitchens. The Joule Turbo Sous Vide makes it easy for home cooks of all skill levels to enjoy the benefits of this precise cooking method—from eggs done exactly how you desire them to perfectly cooked protein to infusing flavors into liquids, fruits and more. The device stands up in one of your existing pots, and its app offers recipes or direct settings for temperature and time. Its proprietary turbo mode can cook up to twice as fast as other sous vide machines.
Added: July 2023
This product is sold by Breville
Baked Supergrain and Seaweed Puffs
Baked Supergrain and Seaweed Puffs
A new twist on the classic puff, Sea Monsters’ take features sorghum and seaweed with organic seasonings. There are currently four flavors offered: sour cream & onion, cheese pizza, sweet chili, and our favorite, spicy Korean BBQ. They are gluten free and non-GMO certified. Available in select stores (visit the site for details) or in a box of 8 3.5oz packs online (price is for an 8 pack).
Added: July 2023
This product is sold by Sea Monsters
Non-Alcoholic Apéritif
Non-Alcoholic Apéritif
Alcohol-free aperitif (and CH favorite) Ghia has been updated. With a new bottle design and ingredients list, the aromatic drink no longer includes fig but comprises a blend of white grape, yuzu, date, rhubarb, plum, ginger and more. That means the color is a bright, clear ruby rather than the slightly cloudy original. It’s also been reformulated to be 46% more concentrated, meaning there are more servings per bottle. The result is remarkably similar to the original—thankfully. It maintains a fresh, bitter, citrus-forward flavor similar to an Italian amaro that just needs a little ice and fizzy water to make an impressive booze-free beverage.
Added: July 2023
This product is sold by Ghia
Duplo Design Molcajete + Tequileros Set
Duplo Design Molcajete + Tequileros Set
A follow up to last year’s smash collaboration this set by Made in Cookware and Guadalajara-based Duplo Design, founded by sisters Marcela and Tania Medina, is handmade in Guadalajara from local volcanic rock and brings a fresh vibe to your kitchen. The molcajete features a modern flat base and cork pad underneath to prevent scratching your counters. The trio of tequileros—traditional cups used to enjoy your favorite tequila or mezcal—nests in a Mexican oak serving tray.
Added: July 2023
Made In Cookware
100% Yuzu Juice
100% Yuzu Juice
YUZUCO’s 100% yuzu juice (cold-pressed in Japan and bottled in the US) provides a refreshing and balanced citrus flavor for use in drinks, dressings and more. A hybrid of Ichang papeda and Mandarin orange, it’s fragrant, tart and sour without being overwhelming—and a little goes a long way. Whether you’re into marinading or mixing cocktails, yuzu juice warrants a place in any kitchen or bar.
Added: June 2023
This product is sold by YUZUCO
