A Gift-Giving Guide for Foodies

This season’s best food gifts from the Hamptons

The season of giving has finally arrived. Are you stuck for ideas when it comes to your food-loving friends and family members? Unsure of what the best gift is for the man or woman who has everything? The Hamptons has great food-friendly options when it comes to local gift-giving. Here are some of our favorites for 2019.
A Hot Sauce for Every Palate
At L&W Market in Bridgehampton, Almond chef Jason Weiner and Showfish chef Jeremy Blutstein have combined forces. Under the label Kimchi Jews, the pair produces a line of srirachas (a Thai hot sauce that has a cult following) with a variety of different flavor components. For the heat-loving friend or family member, pick up a locally made bottle of the smoked green sriracha, the cherry pepper-apple sriracha, or just the regular sriracha (made from Amagansett fresno chiles).

Something Locally Sweet
In Sag Harbor, Mary Woltz produces artisanal honey, Bees’ Needs, in three varieties. Her honeys are made from South Fork bees, and come in several flavors. Woltz’s honeys are available at several local retailers, like Balsam Farms in Amagansett, Provisions in Sag Harbor and Water Mill, Naturally Good in Montauk, and Green Thumb Farm in Water Mill.
The Ultimate South Fork Condiment
At Wölffer Estate Vineyard, in Sagaponack, you can buy more than rosé for your discerning friends and family. The iconic winery produces an onionskin pink rosé vinegar, made from their benchmark grapes. This flexible vinegar is good on everything from salad to crusty bread and is a welcome addition to any gourmand’s kitchen. And, at $8 a bottle, it won’t bust your holiday budget.
For the Cheese Lover
Stuff a Mecox Bay Dairy tote full of his or her favorite cheeses and you have an edible gift to remember. The Bridgehampton dairy produces nine cheeses, including, among others, a young, fresh ricotta, the Banscom Blue, and the five-year-aged Sigit Reserve. All cheese is made from raw (or unpasteurized) milk, meaning that these cheeses are a true expression of the cows and land that produce them.
For the Spirits Lover
Bridgehampton’s Channing Daughters produces a compelling line of wines for any occasion, but there are no better bottles for gift-giving than their line of vermouths, which can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, or as part of a cocktail. Each of the six vermouths produced at Channing is infused with a different line of botanicals — some light and vibrant and some dark and brooding. There’s a vermouth out there for everyone.
A Salty Finish
Amagansett is home to Amagansett Sea Salt, a finishing salt made in small batches from seawater. No chemicals are added in the process, and everything takes place outdoors. The result is a chunky, chewy salt, not unlike the famous sel gris, which is perfect for finishing with. The square glass bottles are art in and of themselves, and will look great in any food lover’s kitchen. An 8-ounce bottle, which comes with a bamboo spoon, costs $49.95 and can be ordered directly from the company’s website www.amagansettseasalt.com.