Authentic French gifts for Christmas can be ordered easily online. And a gourmet food gift from France doesn’t need to be limited to wine or cheese.
Here are 3 types of gourmet gifts from some of France’s top food artisans that you can find online. You know you’ll be offering a well-made, delicious product that will “wow” whoever receives it.
What’s more, the packaging, particularly for the teas, is so beautiful and charming – another advantage in offering these products as gifts.
1. French Teas:
The French are masters at mixing herbs, fruits and flowers to create delicious tasting blends for black or herbal teas (called “tisanes” or “infusions”).
They love drinking black tea in the late afternoon and herbal teas after dinner. There is no theine in the plants used for herbal teas, so you won’t be kept awake at night.
And the therapeutic benefits of plants have been recognized in France for centuries: some are used to help digestion (hence the “tisane” after a meal), and yet others for their calming effect.
Where to buy high-quality French teas online:
“Palais des Thés” Teas
–Palais des Thes tea selection on Amazon.com
–Palais des Thes tea selection on La Fine Bouche.com
Mariage Frères Teas
Mariage Freres tea selection on Amazon.com
Mariage Freres Tea Selection on Markethallfoods.com
2. French Jams & Jellies:
The French know how to start their day off right: not only with a great baguette and real butter but also with artisanal jams and jellies. They consume 4.4 kg (almost 9 lbs) of them per person per year!
Their jams have nothing to do with the strawberry sugar product I put on my peanut butter and jelly sandwich as a kid. These products are made with care and seriously delicious. And though there is sugar in them, there’s often a lot less than the products in the jam and jelly aisle at the average supermarket.
If you want to know the difference between a jam, jelly, preserve and marmalade, you can find out more here…
But the French don’t just eat jams and jellies in the morning with their croissants. Find out more about their favorite flavors and ways to pair them with food beyond the breakfast table here…
Where to buy high-quality authentic French jams, jellies and marmelade online:
1. Alain Milliat, a French specialist in high-quality jams and fruit juices, has a boutique on amazon.com with a selection of his top jams:
Alain Milliat’s jams on Amazon.com
2. Yummy Bazaar has a selection of jams from Favols, an artisanal producer from the southwest of France. Several jams have no sugar added:
Yummy Bazaar.com Favols selection
3. Wallywine.com has a selection of jams from the artisan “Matin des Pyrenees”:
Matin des Pyrenees jams at Wallywine.com
3. French Olive Oils:
French olive oil production is small but very high in quality, which is why it makes a great gift for Christmas. There is very little if any low-quality olive oil produced in France.
Other countries with huge olive oil production have oils that vary from high to low quality. France, with its small production output, has chosen to keep the quality of its olive oil high (and that’s reflected in the price!).
There are 8 French olive oil Protected Designations of Origin (called AOPs) as well as many mono-varietal oils (such as Picholine, Lucques, Olivière, Salonenque, etc.). So there is definitely a distinctly French olive oil production with its unique characteristics.
Wondering how to select the best French olive oil? In this blog post, you’ll find 3 criteria to guide you.
Where to buy high-quality French olive oil online:
Most high-quality olive oils are not found in supermarkets, so look elsewhere. Specialty stores and online shops are more reliable sources.
Here are two reputable online sources in the U.S.:
1. Olive Oil Lovers – They are very serious in their sourcing of high-quality oils.
Olive Oil Lovers selection from France
2. Zingerman’s – This is another online supplier I would try if I lived in the U.S. They have several delicious high-quality French olive oils.
Zingerman’s live oil selections from France
3. Amazon.com also has the “Castelines” French olive oils from Castelas family mills as well as oils from Nicolas Alziari. Both are highly respected French artisan olive oil producers:
Castelas olive oil on Amazon.com
Nicolas Alziari olive oil shop on Amazon
I hope this inspires you to find a delicious French gift for Christmas that will bring that special “Je ne sais quoi” to the table for the holidays.
Let me know how your shopping goes in the comments below!
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The French Pantry Checklist: Let great ingredients do the work for you
