Last Minute Christmas Food Gifts

Great Ideas for Christmas Presents from the Supermarket

Dec 18, 2007

Italian panettone waiting for gift-giving., Norman Kolpas

Easy, inexpensive Christmas food gifts and stocking stuffers you can find at the last minute for everyone on your holiday gift list.

You've done it again. You've waited too long. Now you're facing last-minute Christmas shopping.

Don't despair! Your local supermarket could have all the last minute gifts you need! (Also consider putting together larger Christmas food baskets.)

Remember, too, that the people you haven't yet checked off may not require big, extravagant gifts. Gifts from the supermarket are often perfect choices. Many of the Christmas gift ideas here also work great as hostess gifts or stocking stuffers.

Most supermarkets at this time of year even have wrapping paper, ribbons, and bows ready for you to buy.

PRODUCE DEPARTMENT

Fresh fruit. Think of festive-looking seasonal fruit like Mandarins or Clementines. Tie a bow around a whole pineapple and you have a stunningly festive gift.
Fresh vegetables. Give an assortment of the beautiful baby vegetables that some markets sell year-round.

COFFEES AND TEAS AISLE

Coffees. Look for vacuum-packed bags of whole-bean freshly roasted coffees from around the world.
Teas. Some of the world's finest teas come ready to give in beautifully decorated, reusable tins.
Hot chocolate. Gourmet cocoa mixes now come in decorative tins perfect for giving.

JAMS, JELLIES, AND PRESERVES AISLE

Imported preserves. Look beyond familiar domestic brands for beautiful jars from France, Italy, Britain, or elsewhere.
Honeys. Jars of gourmet honeys from single varietal sources such as buckwheat, clover, or even avocado blossoms are more and more available. But don't forget that familiar old squeezable honey bear dispenser!
Chocolate sauces. You may find jars of chocolate and fudge sauces from boutique manufacturers, perfect for gourmet sundaes.

OIL AND VINEGAR AISLE

Fine cooking or salad oils. Look for small bottles or tins of fine extra-virgin olive oil, walnut or hazelnut oil.
Fine vinegars. Food lovers always appreciate small bottles of imported aged balsamic vinegar, varietal wine vinegars, and flavored herb-infused vinegars.

PASTA AND RICE AISLE

Imported pasta. Colored and flavored pasta shapes from Italy, often beautifully packaged, make great gifts.
Rare rice. Many rice lovers adore wild rice. Look also for unusual varieties such as black rice, pecan-flavored rice, and jasmine rice.

CONDIMENTS AND PICKLES AISLE

Imported mustards. Go beyond the familiar Dijon brand to seek out flavored mustards imported from France or Italy, or old-fashioned mustards created closer to home.
Bottled sauces. Keep an eye open for unusual bottled barbecue sauces for your favorite grill lover.

SOFT DRINKS AISLE

Boutique sodas. Small soda-makers are springing up everywhere, offering unusual flavors in bottles with eye-catching labels.
Bottled tea or juice drinks. Looks for soft drinks featuring brewed green tea or exotic juices.

CANDY AND NUTS AISLE

Gourmet chocolates. Many markets now feature bars of chocolate from small, gourmet-style producers.
High-quality nuts. Look for attractive tins of fine roasted nuts, such as Virginia peanuts or Spanish Marcona almonds.
Holiday candy specialties. Don't forget foil-wrapped chocolate Santas and snowmen and holiday-themed marshmallow Peeps!

COOKIES AND BAKED GOODS AISLE

Gourmet cookies. Look for small bags of finely made cookies.
Panettone. Boxes of the popular fruit-studded Italian Christmas bread are often stacked ready to buy.

HOUSEWARES AISLE

Good-quality utensils. Pick up unusual but useful kitchen gadgets—especially the ergonomically designed OXO tools.
Tabletop items. Watch for good-quality tableware and serving items, especially items made of beautiful wood.

PET FOODS AISLE

Dog chews. Don’t forget Fido!
Cat toys. Your kitten always loves a catnip mouse.

WINE AND LIQUOR DEPARTMENT

Fine wines. Pick up a good-quality bottle for the wine lover you know.
Rare liquors. Single-malt Scotch or other fine spirits are often appreciated.

And don't forget to look around for specially prepared holiday gift baskets or boxes many local markets sell at this time of year. More enterprising markets may also display and sell some of the year's best cookbooks.

The copyright of the article Last Minute Christmas Food Gifts in Party Food is owned by Norman Kolpas. Permission to republish Last Minute Christmas Food Gifts in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.