Christmas has come around once more meaning we all hit the shops for those last-minute presents. If you have a friend or family member who rocks the kitchen now is the time to impress. In 2020 online searches for ‘food gifts’ rose by 427% making a minefield of information out there, don't worry, we have you covered.
We’ve pulled together our top 5 awesome Christmas food gifts anyone would be excited for.
Yawataya Isogoro Shichimi Togarashi
Imported from Japan, Togarashi is a must for anyone who enjoys classic Japanese dishes. Togarashi is a unique blend of white pepper, ginger, shiso, sansho, cinnamon, sesame, rapeseed Nanba chilli pepper - also known as shichimi. Yawataya's secret recipe shichimi creates a spicy flavour with a fabulous aroma, perfect for those ramen fanatics.
Meat Church Honey Bacon BBQ Rub
One for the bacon and BBQ lovers! The Meat Church ‘Honey Bacon BBQ’ rub provides a sweet bacony flavour that every BBQ king and queen needs. The unique and creative artwork on the bottle also gives a laugh to anyone lucky enough to receive this extra tasty rub.
Horaiya Honten Koji Soy Sauce
The soy sauce that changes flavour the longer it ferments. You will be seriously impressing with this one. Koji soy sauce has a sweeter and thicker finish than regular soy sauce and complements tofu, sushi and sashimi. Koji is a popular ingredient used in many Michelin star restaurants, making it the perfect Christmas gift for home chefs. You won't find this one on Sainsbury shelves. We would recommend this Soy for any food fanatic, even if sushi, tofu and sashimi aren’t in your everyday menu. We recommend experimenting with this soy and taking everyday dishes to a whole new level.
Kanzuri 3 Year Fermented Chili-Koji-Yuzu Paste
A spicy flavouring with an epic backstory! Kanzuri is made from a blend of chillies, yuzu, koji and salt and have been aged for 3 years. The chillies are bleached under snow in Niigata prefecture on Honshu. You can read more about the process of making Kanzuri here; untimely, the bleaching removes some of the salt in the chillis, creating a spicy and zesty flavour. A great present for someone who loves to add spice to their dishes. Not a bad story to tell people over the Christmas table either…
Sweetbird Pumpkin Spice Syrup
A present for the coffee-obsessed! Pumpkin spice season may be over, but it doesn’t have to be with the Sweetbird Pumpkin Spice syrup. This sweet and seasonal syrup contains real cinnamon, ginger and clove, giving a fruity and warming flavour. This versatile syrup can be enjoyed in hot chocolate, milkshakes and even the classic morning coffee.
So there you have 5 Christmas gifts for the awesome chefs in your life, sensational year-round syrups to specialist Japanese traditional ingredients. You can find more ways to use these ingredients here.