Gift giving is one of the many things we love about the holiday season, but no one enjoys being caught empty-handed when presented with an unexpected gift. Keep some gourmet food gifts on hand, and you will never experience that awkwardness again. A fresh homemade cake or a tin filled with Christmas cookies is always a welcome gift, but you don’t always have time to whip up a baked goodie. You never know when unexpected friends may drop in and you need a spur-of-the-moment gift, or you are invited to a party at the last-minute and want to take a gift. Get a jump-start on the season and take a look at this selection of some of our favorite Southern-made food gifts. Order two or three (or more) items to keep in your pantry for those unforeseen situations when you suddenly need a gift. Giving a food gift such as local honey, artisan grits or regional salt is also a great way to share the Southern culture with friends and family.
Tupelo Honey
Buy It: $7.50; savannahbee.com
This sweet, mellow honey is perfect in a cup of tea or drizzled over a hot biscuit.
Grey Ghost Molasses Spice Cookies
Buy It: $8.99; greyghostbakery.com
Choose from a selection of cookie flavors, but don’t let the name scare you. The only thing supernatural about these cookies is how quickly they disappear.
Old South Hot Okra
Buy It: $4.99; worldmarket.com
You know it's Southern if it is spicy and pickled. These make the perfect addition to your next cheese tray.
Breakfast Gift Crate
Buy It: $15.95; blackberrypatch.com
Send your guests home with the makings of a comforting, Southern pancake breakfast.
Sun Tea
Buy It: $14.99; amazon.com
All you need is water, tea, and the sun to produce a pitcher of this peach-flavored refreshing drink.
Cafe Du Monde Coffee and Chicory
Buy It: $9.99; amazon.com
Brew a pot of this chicory coffee and fill your home with the wonderful aromas of New Orleans.
French Broad Chocolate
Buy It: $12.99; frenchbroadchocolates.com
For baking or just nibbling, your foodie friend will love receiving North Carolina’s French Broad chocolates as a gift.
Muddy Pond Pure Sorghum
Buy It: $9; muddypondsorghum.net
Made in Tennessee, the smoky sweetness of this syrup is delicious in everything from cookies to barbecue sauce.
Delta Blues Long Grain White Rice
Buy It: $4.50; deltabluesrice.com
Delta Blues rice is grown, milled, and packaged on a multi-generational family farm in the Mississippi Delta.
Vivian Howard’s Run It In Fins and Shells Rub
Buy It: $18.95; amazon.com
Vivian Howard, of North Carolina's Chef & the Farmer restaurant and star of A Chef's Life on PBS, created this Southern-inspired rub, perfect for peel n' eats, low country boils or your favorite fresh catch.
Mississippi Cheese Straw Factory Cheddar Cheese Straws
Buy It: $18; amazon.com
Straight from Yazoo City, Mississippi, anyone will enjoy receiving this Southern party staple.
Holmsted Fines Chutney
Buy It: $9.99; holmstedfines.com
These Southern-made chutneys will put the finishing touch on any holiday cheese board.
McEwen & Sons Organic Grits
Buy It: $4.45; mcewenandsons.com
The Southern Living Test Kitchen dubbed these Alabama grits the “best grits in the South.”
Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning
Buy It: $4.99; amazon.com
This unique blend of spices will bring that authentic Cajun flavor to all your dishes.
McIlhenny Co. Tabasco Pepper Sauce
Buy It: $6.50 for pack of two; amazon.com
These minis are great to stash in your backpack, purse, or picnic basket and take on the road.
Sea and Salt Chocolate Bar Gift Set
Buy It: $25; bullsbaysaltworks.com
Two South Carolina favorites, French Broad Chocolates and Bulls Bay Saltworks, have teamed up to bring us this delicious artisan chocolate bar gift set.
Duke’s Real Mayonnaise
Buy It: $7; amazon.com
Your friend may raise her eyebrows when you gift her with a jar of Duke’s. But once she adds it to her next bowl of chicken salad, she will sit down and write you a heartfelt thank you note.
Aunt Sally’s Creamy Pralines
Buy It: $15.99; amazon.com
Treat your friends and family to these classic Southern indulgencies—and buy yourself a box, as well.
Goo Goo Cluster Original Chocolate Carton
Buy It: $9.95; amazon.com
Give these as gifts and your friends will understand why Goo Goos are the South’s favorite candy treat.
