14 Valentine's Day Food Gifts That Aren’t Chocolate
Swap the heart-shaped box for pasta kits, coffee subscriptions, and spices.
Chocolate is undeniably a Valentine's Day staple. And it's delicious! But if you'd rather switch things up this year, there are plenty of other food gifts that would make just as sweet an impression. A box full of assorted mochi flavors; a pasta kit loaded with sauces, pasta, and an apron; a trio of hot sauces and hot honey. There's something for everyone, at all kinds of price points, too. Read on for some of our favorites.
Mochidoki Signature Collection
Mochidoki packed 12 of its best-selling flavors into one box, including matcha, black sesame, ube, salted caramel, and espresso. There are a few vegan varieties in the mix as well—when the box arrives, be sure to get it right in the freezer.
Mochidoki Signature Collection, $60 at mochidoki.com
Highclere Castle Gin
This Highclere Castle bottle would make a great gift for Downton Abbey fans (and gin fans, of course). The palate is described as "crisp and dry with juniper present — but restrained — and the gentle spices and florals coming forward."
Highclere Castle Gin, $43 at flaviar.com
Truff Limited-Edition Pasta Kit
For those who love truffles (not the chocolate kind), pasta, and Hedley & Bennett aprons, Truff's pasta kit checks off all the boxes. Inside, you'll find one black truffle arrabbiata sauce, one black truffle Pomodoro sauce, two boxes of hand-rolled pasta—penne rigate and strozzapreti—and an apron to keep you mess-free while you cook.
Truff Limited-Edition Pasta Kit, $135 at truff.com
The Omsom Bundle
We're big fans of Omsom's starters, which can be used to create dishes from several different Asian cuisines, including Filipino sisig, Thai larb, Korean spicy bulgogi, and Japanese yuzu misoyaki. The Omsom Bundle, available for $55, is filled with the entire Omsom collection of six cuisines—in total, you'll get 12 starters, which each serve two to three.
The Omsom Bundle, $55 at omsom.com
Red Clay Hot Sauce All-Stars Variety Pack
We've found Red Clay's hot honey as a great condiment to have on hand for weeknight meals (think pizza, roasted vegetables, and more), and their hot sauces also made our 2019 gift guide. In this All-Stars Pack, you'll find both.
Red Clay Hot Sauce All-Stars Variety Pack, $28 at amazon.com and food52.com
Spicewalla Keepin' It Spicy Collection
Cooks will love this very on-theme pink-and-red spice collection from Spicewalla. It includes six different tins: pink peppercorn, crushed red pepper, Kashmiri chilli powder, sumac, smoked paprika, and Himalayan pink salt.
Spicewalla Keepin' It Spicy Collection, six-pack, $30 at spicewallabrand.com
Blue Bottle Coffee Subscription
Know an avid coffee drinker? Get them a subscription, so they'll be set with many morning cups to come. Blue Bottle offers a 3-month ($66) and six-month option ($132), which both deliver one half bag (six ounces) of "a changing selection of our whole-bean Classic Blends" every other week. You can also customize your own subscription starting at $22, if you'd like.
Coffee Subscriptions, varying prices at bluebottlecoffee.com
DavidsTea Chocolate Covered Strawberry Tea
If your giftee prefers tea to coffee, try this limited-edition blend from DavidsTea, part of the Valentine's Day collection. It's made with yerba mate, cocoa beans, white chocolate pieces, strawberry pieces, hibiscus blossoms, and more, resulting in a drink that mimics the taste of chocolate-covered strawberries.
DavidsTea Chocolate Covered Strawberry Large Solo - Limited Edition, $19 (was $24) at davidstea.com
The Full Artisan Cheese Tasting Gift Package, from Cheese Grotto
Consider this Cheese Grotto package as everything you need for the ultimate cheese board. You'll find cow's milk brie, Tennessee black truffle honeycomb, sliced ham—"extra-fancy" sliced ham, at that—and some mixed olives, too, along with plenty more. (And yes, it does contain some chocolate).
Cheese Grotto The Full Artisan Cheese Tasting Gift Package, $125 at cheesegrotto.com
Haus Duo
Haus' bottled low-ABV apéritifs come in all kinds of flavors, ranging from spiced cherry to peach passionfruit. With the customizable "Your Haus Duo," you can pick two 750-milliliter bottles up for $70, or $63 if you're a member. There are two options—go with the best-sellers, citrus flower, and rose rosé, or make your own combination.
Haus Duo, $70 at drink.haus
Snake River Farms Gourmet Hamburger Collection
This hamburger collection offers American wagyu hamburger patties, American wagyu ground beef, and USDA prime patties—need we say more? Plus, steak seasoning, to add a little kick.
Snake River Farms Gourmet Hamburger Collection, $95 at snakeriverfarms.com
The Essential Capsule, from Brightland
When we recently taste-tested some new California olive oils, Brightland was among one of our favorites. And when they debuted vinegars? We quickly became fans of those, too. The brand's Essential Capsule includes both the Awake and Alive olive oils, as well as the Parasol (raw Champagne vinegar) and Rapture (raw balsamic vinegar), so you can try them all in one swoop.
Brightland The Essential Capsule, $112 at brightland.co
McCrea's Candies Handcrafted Caramel Box
Want something sweet that isn't chocolate? Go for caramels instead. The Grommet has a few boxes from McCrea's, which offer flavors like Cape Cod sea salt, single malt Scotch, and rosemary truffle sea salt.
McCrea's Candies Handcrafted Caramel Box, $25–$60 (depending on box size) at thegrommet.com
Runamok Maple Best Sellers Gift Box
Whether you love to pour maple syrup over pancakes or ice cream, this set from Runamok can add flavor to all kinds of treats. It includes three varieties: bourbon barrel-aged, sugarmaker's cut, and finally, cinnamon-vanilla-infused.
Runamok Maple Best Sellers Gift Box, $65 at amazon.com