6 Best Artisan Food Gift Baskets to Give Anyone Who Loves European Cuisine
29 Nov 2022
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If experience has shown us anything, it’s that the list of genuinely foolproof gift ideas is astonishingly short. That list does include gifts like soft and cozy blankets, tool kits, and gift cards, of course, but there’s one thing that is even more ideal as a holiday gift idea for everyone who could possibly be on your list: food, glorious artisanal food.
Practicality aside (everyone needs to eat), artisanal food gift baskets are perfect for any occasion - winter holidays, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, housewarmings, and more. They’re even ideal if you just want to surprise your best friend with a delicious gift they can enjoy for days, if not weeks.
Not to mention, there are artisanal food gift basket options to fit every taste and preference. Do you have someone on your holiday gift list who specifically does not eat pork, but loves wild game? The Classic Pork-Free Gift Basket would be an excellent choice. Does someone on your list hunt and enjoy more exotic meats like Elk, Venison, Berkshire pork, and Bison? Go for the Ultimate Artisan Gift Basket for a gift that will truly blow them away. What about the truffle-loving friend with the sophisticated palate? The Truffle Trio Gift Box would be perfect, featuring both Black Truffle Salami and White Truffle Salami.
Plus, with the various delivery options available, you can mail unique, artisan food gift baskets from all parts of the country.
Just think: You can ship an artisan gift basket to your friend in New York, so they can join you for dinner over video as you sit in your California home. How perfect is that?
Ahead, we’ve created a list of six of the best artisan gift baskets to give anyone who loves European cuisine. These are the perfect holiday, special occasion, appreciation, apology, or even “just because” gifts, with something for everyone to love.
What Does “Artisan Gift Baskets” Mean?
When it comes to food, there is no standard or legal definition for the term artisanal in the United States. The word artisan comes from the Latin ars, meaning craft, skill, or art. The term is applies to particular types of food, such as artisanal dry cured meats or artisanal cheese.
Typically, this refers to the food product that has been made in small batches, by hand, and with strong emphasis on the use of standing traditional techniques and recipes. The use of fresh and local ingredients is also highly stressed.
Artisan food makers are very concerned with where the ingredients in their dishes or products come from, as well as the effect their production has on the environment. For example, the meats from Angel’s Salumi & Truffles is all certified to be completely free of antibiotics, steroids, and growth hormones, in addition to any nitrates or nitrites.
All of the game meats are free-range, cage-free, or wild. The Berkshire hog used for our Berkshire salami is listed in the six-point USDA Verified Process Program in control of the processing and raising of livestock. The antipasti and extra virgin olive oils include hand-pressed, hand-sorted, or hand-picked Taggiasca olives grown 200-500 meters above sea level above the coast of Liguria. Our cheeses include those with made sheep’s milk and those made in the French Jura region, following traditional recipes.
Our artisanal food was created in accordance with centuries-old recipes. In order to finish with a premium product, you must first start with the highest-quality ingredients.
Every item in the Angel’s Salumi & Truffles gift baskets has been expertly and masterfully prepared and created, bringing each gift recipient on your list the luxurious experience of French and Italian cuisine through charcuterie meats, cheeses, antipasti, and more.
The items are carefully selected, artfully arranged within an elegant, handcrafted wooden box, and then beautifully wrapped with (an optional) personalized note to ensure the delight of each gift recipient.
The items are carefully selected, artfully arranged within an elegant, handcrafted wooden box, and then beautifully wrapped with (an optional) personalized note to ensure the delight of each gift recipient.
Choosing the Best Artisan Gift Basket for Your Holiday Gift List
We love working with our Angel’s Salumi & Truffl es customers to craft memorable, sentimental, professional, and completely customized Artisan Gift Baskets for any special occasion or event. We are proud of being able to help curate stunning and elegant gifts for our customers with a wide selection of
thematic gourmet gifts to choose from and a long list of options for customization.
Learning how to select the best artisan gift basket for your holiday gift list recipients can be a bit daunting, but adding that little extra TLC truly makes all the difference.
Here are some tips for choosing a holiday gift basket:
1. Choose a Unique Holiday Gift Basket
There are literally thousands of different types of holiday gift baskets out there, full of anything you can think of from bath and body products to journals and fountain pens. The difficult part about choosing aunique holiday gift basket, especially a food gift basket, is finding one that is unique.
Most of the pre-made gift baskets available tend to all look the same, contain the same bland popcorn and mysteriously sweaty cheese, and come in the same fraying wicker gift basket.
If you want to give a holiday gift basket that stands out, expresses your appreciation for the recipient, and is genuinely something they will enjoy, then you want something unique and unlike other gift baskets they have ever seen before.
An artisan food gift basket with hard-to-find culinary delicacies, such as black truffle salami or wild boar prosciutto, accompanied by elegant accessories like an ornate wooden cutting board or tea towel, that are beautifully arranged and wrapped, are some of the best holiday gifts to give this year.
2. Consider the Gift Basket Container
One of the best ways to choose a holiday gift basket is to consider the container. Select an artisan gift basket that has a container (box, basket, bowl, etc.) that the gift recipient will want to save and use after all of the tasty presents have been enjoyed.
A lot of the available food gift baskets as holiday gifts come in a 25-cent wicker basket or a thin cardboard box that is tossed into the trash bin right after the contents of the basket are gone. In some cases, the contents are simply removed from the cheap throw-away box after opening.
If you want your holiday gift basket to stand separate from the rest and impress the recipient, then select an artisan food gift basket arranged in something they will want to keep and display in their home, in their office, on their patio, such as a decorative wooden box.
Unique and beautiful artisan food gift baskets are highly valued and the recipient on your holiday gift list will be sure to think of you fondly each time they set eyes on it for many years to come.
3. Find an Artisan Gift Basket That Isn’t Just Filled With “Extras”
One of the biggest issues with a lot of the holiday gift baskets available online is they are about 95% filled with “extras” or filler items, with very few of premium gift items. The worst off enders of these holiday gift baskets are the wine and fruit or the wine and cheese baskets. These tend to have large Styrofoam fillers that are actually taller than the actual basket itself.
These types of holiday gift baskets tend to not reflect the way you actually feel about the recipient, as they are mostly filler items and do not contain much in the way of gift items. These gift baskets do notoften leave the best impression on the recipient, and the items included within do not always live up to the promises of quality made by the brand.
Look for artisan food gift baskets that have a balanced ratio of contents, without an excess of fillers. A basket like our Gourmet Artisan Gift Basket, with three types of dry-cured meats, five types of antipasti items, organic crackers, and two accessories all contained within a decorative, handcrafted wooden box, is a better holiday gift basket option.
4. Select an Artisan Gift Basket Made Fresh-to-Order, in the U.S.
Many holiday gift baskets are created months en masse before the holiday season even starts, and in various places around the globe. Which means there are a good number of food gift baskets being assembled and stored long in advance, even in hot climates. The result is many gift recipients receiving gift baskets full of stale contents that have gone through shipping damages and haphazard, rushed
assembly.
Choose an artisan gift basket that is created within the U.S., after you have placed your order. These food gift baskets will have fresh products that have undergone careful preparation, assembly, packaging, and shipping.
5. Choose a Company With Same-Day Pickup or Overnight/Next-Day Delivery
There are very few holiday gift basket suppliers that offer Same-Day Pickup or Overnight/Next-Day Delivery options. Choose a company that does, such as Angel’s Salumi & Truffles, to ensure timely gift-giving and the freshest items possible.
Hint: Doing your holiday gift basket shopping early is the key to saving money on your holiday gift-giving!
6 Artisan Food Gift Baskets for the European Cuisine Lovers on Your Holiday Gift List
Artisan food gift baskets are wonderful holiday gift ideas. These gift baskets allow you to treat someone, who may not need another tie or pair of leggings, to something special. Artisan food gift baskets are fullof delicious presents that can be enjoyed not just on the holiday, but for weeks after. These are gifts that bring a smile to someone’s face again and again, long after they have received and opened it.
Here are some artisan food gift baskets for the European cuisine lovers on your holiday gift list this year.
1. La Campagna “The Countryside” Gift Basket
The La Campagna “The Countryside” artisan food gift basket offers a diverse spread of savory, exotic, and distinctly European flavors. This gift basket is brimming with three types of dry-cured meats, two types of infused extra virgin olive oil, five types of antipasti, organic crackers, a decorative tea towel, and
an ornate wooden cutting board. The lucky gift recipient on your holiday shopping list will be able to enjoy the taste of French and Italian countryside with this artisan gift basket.
This artisan food gift basket includes:
● Wild Boar Salami (5.5oz)
● Italian Toscano Salami (5.5oz)
● Soppressata Piccante Salami (5.5oz)
● Basil Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3.3oz)
● Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (3.3oz)
● Olives in Brine (270g)
● Borettane Onions in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (280g)
● Sun-Dried Tomatoes (7oz)
● Artichoke Paste (90g)
● Pepper Paste (90g)
● Olive Paste (90g)
● Rustic Bakery Organic Crackers (4oz)
2. Deluxe Pork-Free Gift Basket
Turn the elegance up a notch for those on your holiday shopping list. If you have European cuisine lovers who would love artisan food gift baskets with a selection of meats, extra virgin olive oils, and antipasti, but do not consume pork, then the Deluxe Pork-Free Gift Basket is perfect.
This artisan food gift basket includes:
● Duck Salami (5.5 oz)
Our duck salami contains a natural pork casing that is easily removable.
● Bison Salami (6.5 oz)
● Clovis Whole Grain Mustard (7 oz)
● Clovis Cornichons (12.34 oz)
● Maison F. Crayssac Lemon EVOO (100 ml)
● Maison F. Crayssac Orange EVOO (100 ml)
● Frantoio Ligurian Black Olive Paste (3.18 oz)
● Frantoio Ligurian Artichokes Paste (3.18 oz)
● Frantoio Taggiasche Olives in Brine (10.58 oz)
● Rustic Bakery Organic Sourdough Flatbread Bites (4 oz)
We also have a Grand-Pork Free Gift Basket, a Supreme Pork-Free Gift Basket and a Premium Pork-Free Gift Basket available for those pork-free foodies on your holiday shopping list you would love to truly surprise.
3. Ultimate Truffle Gift Basket
Think outside the box when you want to give an artisan food gift basket that contains something a level above the standard charcuterie meats and antipasti. For the serious foodies on your holiday gift list who love European cuisine, the Ultimate Truffle Gift Basket does exactly that.
The gourmet gift basket has a little bit of everything truffle-related, from black and white truffle salami to black truffle salt and truffle oil. Tucked into the handcrafted, wooden gift box alongside these items is a beautiful wooden cutting board, a decorative tea towel, and a stainless steel chef knife. Your gift recipient has certainly never received a gift basket like the Ultimate Truffle Gift Basket before!
This artisan food gift basket includes:
● Black Truffle Salami made with 100% Berkshire Pork (6.5oz)
● White Truffle Salami made with 100% Berkshire Pork (6.5oz)
● Black Truffle Churned Butter (2.5oz)
● White Truffle Churned Butter (2.5oz)
● Black Truffle Salt (50gr)
● Black Summer Truffle Powder (50gr)
● Black Truffle Oil (100ml)
● White Truffle Oil (100mL)
4. Frantoio | Tartufo Gift Basket
In English, the word truffle is used to refer to the sweet chocolates introduced by post-Revolution France. Similarly, seeing the word tartufo may conjure up images of a chocolate dessert. However, in their country of origin, both words are actually referring to the edible fungus. You won’t be disappointed, however, as truffles are world-renowned and highly coveted for their deep, earthy flavors.
For the truffle aficionados with the refined palates on your holiday gift list, the Frantoio Tartufo Gift Basket will be a memorable and treasured present that will have them smiling long after they’ve opened it.
This holiday artisan food gift basket includes:
● I Clivi Green Ceramic Bottle Olive Oil (0.5L)
● Taggiasche Olives in Brine (200gr)
● Borretane Onions in Extra Virgin Olive Oil (280gr)
● Ligurian Sundried Tomatoes (200gr)
● Ligurian Pesto (90gr)
● White Truffle Salami made with 100% Berkshire Pork (6.5oz)
● Black Truffle Salami made from 100% Berkshire Pork (6.5oz)
● Rustic Bakery Organic Crackers
5. Ultimate Carnivore Gift Basket
This is for the person on your holiday gift list who takes their meat as seriously as the IRS takes taxes, and who eats a diet that can only be described as carnivorous.
The Ultimate Carnivore Gift Basket has everything a meat-loving foodie who is big on European cuisine could possibly ask for. This artisan food gift basket contains twelve types of dry-cured meats, three types of antipasti sides, organic crackers, and black truffle butter. Let’s just hope they invite you to dinner when they open their meat-lovers gift basket!
This gourmet food gift basket includes:
● Italian Toscano Salami (5.5oz, Nitrite/Nitrate Free)
● French Rosette Salami (5.5oz, Nitrite/Nitrate Free)
● Soppressata Piccante (5.5oz, Nitrite/Nitrate Free)
● Nostrano Salami (5.5oz, Nitrite/Nitrate Free)
● Chorizo Salami (5.5oz)
● Bison Salami (6.5oz, 100% Bison, Grass-fed, Nitrite/Nitrate Free)
● Duck Salami (5.5oz, Cage-Free)
● Wild Boar Salami (5.5oz, 100% Texas Wild Boar)
● Dry-Cured Duck Breast Prosciutto (10-12oz, Cage-Free)
● Black Truffle Salami made with 100% Berkshire Pork (6.5oz)
● White Truffle Salami made with 100% Berkshire Pork (6.5oz)
● Venison & Berkshire Salami (5.5oz)
● Rustic Bakery Organic Crackers (4oz)
● Black Truffle Churned Butter (8oz)
● Taggiasche Olives in Brine (200gr)
● Edmond Fallot Mustard (7.2oz)
● Edmond Fallot Gherkins (6.7oz)
Tucked among these culinary delights are a decorative tea towel, a chef’s apron, an ornate wooden cutting board, and a chef knife.
6. Angel’s Picnic Gift Basket
The Angel’s Picnic Gift Basket is the perfect selection if you’re planning an experiential holiday gift for someone on your list this year. This picnic-themed gift basket has all of the fixings for an elegant picnic for two, so you can surprise the recipient with this gift basket while overlooking beautiful scenery.
This artisan food gift basket includes:
● Rosette 100% Berkshire Pork 5.5oz (Nitrate/Nitrite Free)
● Nostrano 100% Berkshire Pork 5.5oz (Nitrate/Nitrite Free)
● Toscano 100% Berkshire Pork 5.5oz (Nitrate/Nitrite Free)
● Clovis Mustard (7.0oz/190mL)
● Clovis Gherkins (6.60oz/370mL)
● Rustic Bakery Organic Crackers (4oz)
These delicious picnic goodies all come with an insulated carrying bag, a decorative tea towel, a wooden cutting board, and a stainless steel chef knife.
Everything you need for the perfect picnic is right inside this gourmet gift basket!
Finding the Best Artisan Gift Baskets to Give This Holiday Season
A holiday artisan food gift basket can be anything that would satisfy the appetite and taste buds of the gift recipients on your holiday shopping list, from truffle-themed gifts, perhaps with truffle salami, perhaps all wild game meats, or even an entire selection of pork-free delicacies. Regardless of which artisan food gift baskets you gift this holiday season, the key is to pick the gourmet gift baskets you know are guaranteed to make the recipient smile.
The quality of each of the items in our gift baskets at Angel’s Salumi & Truffles is exceptional. More often than not, people want to find out how to buy more of the items in their gift baskets, so they can continue enjoying the savoury flavors whenever they wish.
Ready to send some holiday gift baskets to the foodies on your gift list? Browse all of our gift basket collections or contact us today and we’ll help you find the perfect artisan food gift basket for your recipient.
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