It can be hard to figure out what to get for everyone on your list—with so many loved ones and so many holiday events to attend, gifting becomes one big chore when it should be a celebration of your loved ones.
Plus, many of us want to make our dollars count by buying from companies and brands that we support. Luckily for you, our gift guide is full of present ideas from Asian-owned brands and businesses that are sure to be a hit for the foodie in your life.
From a delicious spice collection that’ll make getting the taste of home even easier to a sampling of plant-based bubble tea flavours, here are 12 gifts for the foodie in your life.
1. Twrl Milk Tea, Milk Tea Sampler Pack
Founders: Pauline Ang, Olivia Chen
Excite the bubble tea lover in your life with Twrl Milk Tea’s sampler pack—a delightful collection of various plant-based milk tea blends and tasty toppings. Now, they can whip up their favourite drink at home in just minutes! — Nathan Sing
$34.51. Available at twrlmilktea.com.
2. Ho Mei Crazy Rich Chili
Founder: Trevor Lui
Free from common allergens and crazy rich in flavour, this not-too-spicy chili oil by Chef Trevor Lui packs a serious punch. — Madelyn Chung
$16. Available at highbellgroup.com and online and in-store at Auntie’s Supply.
3. Madras Kappi Heirloom Kit
Founders: Shilpa and Ady Kotamarthi
Once you’ve had a taste of South Indian filter coffee, you’ll never go back. If you’ve ever had a sip of it from Toronto’s Madras Kappi, you’ve probably been left with a craving each morning. This kit will help you make your own in your own kitchen. — Sadaf Ahsan
$96. Available at madraskaapi.com
4. Cook with Zing Pay Chen’s Sacha-Ish Savoury Chili Condiment
Founders: Anush Sachdeva, Jannine Rane, Kiran Singh
If they always reach for the XO sauce at hot pot, they’ll love this salty-sweet chili miso condiment. Created in collaboration with TV personality Pay Chen, this is the ideal gift for the person in your life who wishes every meal was hot pot. — Rebecca Gao
$12.99. Available at cookwithzing.com.
5. Spice Girl Chai (formerly Spice Girl Eats) Original Chai Concentrate
Founder: Becca Pereira
If you’re looking to make delicious chai at home, try this easy-to-use concentrate from Spice Girl Chai’s Becca Pereira. Crafted using Indian Assam Tea and lightly sweetened with cane sugar, it tastes great mixed with your milk of choice or with a shot of espresso for a dirty chai latte. — M.C.
$18. Available at spicegirlchai.com and in select stores around the GTA
6. Spicewalla – 3 Pack Sam Fore Signature Collection
Founder: Sam Fore
Chef Sam Fore brings the tantalizing tastes of Tuk Tuk Sri Lankan Bites right to your kitchen with her exclusive spice collection. Her Fried Chicken, Meatball, and Seafood Curry blends are perfect for infusing any dish with bright, rich flavours, making them a must-have for the culinary explorer in your life. — N.S.
$19.99. Available at spicewallabrand.com.
7. Kopi Thyme Sauces
Founders: Sara M. Tang and Tao Yee Lim
Kopi Thyme’s assortment of sauces make Southeast Asian cooking at home quick and easy. Crafted with natural ingredients, these sauces bring authentic flavours to your daily meals. — M.C.
From $12.99. Available at kopithyme.com and in select stores across Canada.
8. Brooklyn Dehli Vibrant India Cookbook + Spicy & Sweet Trio
Founder: Chitra Agrawal
Gift a taste of South India with “Vibrant India: Fresh Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Brooklyn,” a delightful cookbook by Brooklyn Delhi Founder Chitra Agrawal, complemented by her exquisite Spicy & Sweet Trio Gift Box. This set includes Brooklyn Delhi’s finest condiments — inside, they’ll discover the zest of Tomato Achaar, the richness of Roasted Garlic Achaar, and the sweetness of Mango Chutney, each in 9 oz. jars, all in a box artfully designed by Delhi artist Anjali Mehta. — N.S.
$90. Available at brooklyndehli.com.
9. Hong Shing Ginger Scallion Seasoning
Founder: Colin Li
Hong Shing’s ginger scallion seasoning goes with everything — literally. Inspired by the classic Cantonese Ginger Scallion Oil, this chopped ginger and green scallion seasoning is great on poultry, rice, noodles and even chips and popcorn! — M.C.
$12. Available at in-store and online at Hong Shing.
10. Our Place Large Always Pan
Founder: Shiza Shahid
Give the gift of culinary magic with Our Place’s Always Pan, the culinary chameleon you’ve seen in all those ads, now ready to transform any kitchen. This stylish, multi-functional pan is perfect for everything from searing to sautéing. — N.S.
$240. Available at fromourplace.com.
11. Saigon Drip Vietnamese Coffee Kit
Founder: Sang Nguyen
Spark joy in a coffee aficionado’s world this holiday with Saigon Drip Vietnamese coffee drip featuring O.G. blend coffee beans sourced out of Dak Lak province in Vietnam, condensed milk and a stainless steel embossed phin filter.
$43. Available at saigondrip.com.
12. Sang Traditional Vietnamese Coffee
Founder: Lam Pham
This a ready-to-drink authentic cà phê sữa đá (a.k.a. Vietnamese iced coffee) is meant to transport you to the streets of Saigon, and was created by Lan Pham, and is based on the strength and sweetness of her family and their complicated history. — S.A.
$38 (12-pack). Available at eatdrinksang.com.
Donate to Community Fridges Toronto
Help nourish your community by supporting Community Fridges TO., a Toronto-based mutual aid initiative that believes access to food is a right, not a privilege.
By supporting their work, you contribute to placing and maintaining community refrigerators across the city, allowing residents to both donate and access food freely, ensuring availability 24/7.
Visit communityfridgesto.org to learn more.
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