Twenty gift ideas for foodies who love to travel
Updated: Jul 20
Have passport, will travel for food. Sound familiar? If you’re a foodie who loves to travel, you already know that where and what you eat is just as important (if not more) than where you stay. And that also means you know the pain of craving your favorite cacio e pepe from Rome, that mole negro you had in Oaxaca or that funky raclette from the Swiss Alps. Food is a sensory experience and those who covet truly delicious fare understand and appreciate the quality behind special ingredients and accessories; especially long after they’ve arrived home. Here’s where this list of gift ideas for foodies who love travel comes in.
If you need something special for the foodie travel buff in your life, we’ve curated this Travel Foodie Gift Guide specifically for those with a discerning palate and a deep appreciation for food they’ve enjoyed abroad. We’ve taken the time to pour through hundreds of international artisans and small businesses to share with you the incredible products behind some of the world’s most famous foodie destinations. And a quick note while we’re at it: if you’re eating just to stay alive, you are seriously missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures.
Here's our list of gift ideas for foodies who love travel.
Explore more of our adventures in foodie travel
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Imported artisanal Olive Oil from tuscany
Entimio Collection | 2022 Harvest Organic Olive Oil Extra Virgin from Tuscany, Italy | Award-Winning, High in Polyphenols, Early Harvest Italian Olive Oil | 25.5 (3 x 8.5) fl oz
Olive oil history
Nobody knows for sure when olive oil was actually discovered or invented, but it’s been used for thousands of years. Including by the Father of Modern Medicine, Hippocrates in ancient Greece who used it for all kinds of medicinal purposes. This particular pedigree is impressive. Entimio is a three-time 2022 NYIOOC Gold Award Winner, a three-time 2022 EVO IOOC Gold Award Winner, produced by small family estates and also USDA certified as organic, and lab tested to prove it doesn’t contain chemicals or pesticides. Not to mention, it’s extremely delicious.
Authentic Balsamic Vinegar from Modena
Entimio Extra Vecchio | Traditional Modena Balsamic Vinegar DOP Aged +25 Years from Modena, Italy | Authentic from Small Family Producer, Gift Box with Product and Producer Info | 3.4 fl oz
Balsamic Vinegar history
Balsamic vinegar is made in Modena, Italy and just like wine and olive oil from this country, it’s a lot like art. There’s even a special certification process the product goes through before it gets the stamp of approval. The grapes are pressed with the juice, skin, seeds and stems all intact late in the harvest season. They are then left to ferment and then aged for at least 12 years to reach that thick velvety texture. Just like the olive oils, Entimio’s balsamic vinegar is produced straight at the source, by Modena-native sisters Sofia and Taisia Malagoli.
Handmade olive wood cooking utensils
Demy Craft Wooden Salad Servers, Handmade in Europe Olive Wood Utensil Sets 12 Inch 2 Pieces Set with Wooden Spoons and Serving Fork
WHY OLIVE WOOD IS A GREAT TRAVEL GIFT IDEA
Mediterranean olive wood accessories make exclusive gifts for your foodie travel friends because they’re dense and durable, holding up well over time, but also because they’re unique and rare. Utensils are typically hand-whittled from branches and clippings from trees that are hundreds of years old, so no two utensils are ever exactly alike. Demy Craft products are handmade from olive trees who have come to the end of their natural fruiting life, meaning that once they can no longer produce olives, the trees are repurposed into artisanal products and new olive trees are planted in their place.
HAND-CARVED STONE CANDLE HOLDERS
Set of 3 Mixed Stone Spheres Candle Holders Smooth Rough Grooved Handmade in Italy - Includes Gift Box - Home Decor Coffee Side Tables Centerpieces
WHY ARE CANDLE HOLDERS A GREAT TRAVEL GIFT IDEA?
What makes these candle holders so special is that they are each hand-carved from ancient Italian limestone, so no two are exactly alike. Made in Puglia, Italy, the Pietra Leccese limestone is so old it contains fossil fragments. The company, Say it with Stone, was founded by Giovanni and Rachel, a couple of Italian and Irish descent with a serious love for animals. With each purchase made, a portion of the sales are donated to a local shelter which cares for abandoned animals and helps them find their forever homes. So not only are the candle holders a perfect addition to any tablescape or buffet, you are also contributing to charity just by giving them as a gift. Sounds like a win-win situation.
Natural wood serving boards from north carolina
Large Long Ambrosia Maple Wood Cutting Board with Handle, Charcuterie Serving Board
How American cutting boards made our list of travel gift ideas
Maple wood is a little slice of Americana. While its sap is known as the source of pure maple syrup across northern states like Vermont, it also makes a beautiful gift. Michael Sansevieri, the expert woodworker and artist behind Specialty Wood Designs in East Bend, North Carolina, creates truly unique gifts, furniture and custom orders, like these beautiful maple boards. Maple is hard enough to stand up to daily use as a cutting board, but soft enough not to ruin your knives. They also make stunning charcuterie and serving boards.
Discover more in our United States Travel Guide
Mango Wood Serving Bowls
Mango Wood Large Bowl with Serving Tongs | 12" Diameter x 5" Height
Mango wood has so many upsides. For starters, it's highly sustainable. Mango trees can be found in just about every tropical region in the world, including Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, Latin America and South America, even in the U.S. While not listed on any of the endangered tree lists, at the end of their fruiting lives, mango trees would normally be torn out and burned to make way for newer, younger trees. These bowls allow for the wood to be repurposed, instead of destroyed. They come in an array of different designs and are made by hand with 100% natural mango wood.
Foodie Gift Basket for the gourmand
These gourmet food baskets feature hard-to-find delicacies for the most discerning gourmands from a small business with a legacy stretching back three generations. In 1918, Charles Chesman became one of the first cheese importers in the U.S., and today his grandson, Spencer runs the family business. For more than a hundred years, they’ve been traveling the world and hand-selecting the finest small-scale producers of gourmet foods and cheeses. They’re so sure of their products, they’ve even got a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
igourmet Authentic Flavors of Greece Gourmet Gift Basket
A Taste of The Variety of Greece's Cuisine - This Mediterranean Gift Assortment Captures It All
Gourmet Gift Basket - igourmet Irish Classics gift box
A Little Bit of Ireland in a Gift Box (3.1 pound) - The Flavors And Cuisine Of Ireland - Taste Of Ireland's Finest Cheeses, Tea, Jam, Crackers, and Coffee.
Igourmet Gift Basket - The Best of Europe Cheese Assortment
Finest Gourmet European Cheeses - A Variety Of French Cheese, English Cheese, Italian Cheese, and Spanish Cheese (2 pounds)
Explore more from our Europe Travel Guide
igourmet Italian Luxuries in Gourmet Gift Basket
Luxurious collection of international specialities - Grana Padano, Taralli: Perfect baked goods to serve with an antipasto course, 100% Italiano Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Crostini Crackers, Prosciutto di Parma, Callipo Tuna, AND Canestrelli Cookies.
Explore more of our Italy travel ideas
igourmet Vegan Delights Gourmet Gift Box
Curated by our expert chefs - A Rare Statement of wonder and health wrapped into one magnificent gift box. Coop's Vegan Hot Fudge, BjornQorn Popcorn bag, Dried Cranberries & Blueberries by Vincent Family Cranberries, Brownwood Farms Blueberry Premium Pie Filling & Topping , Kaniwa (Baby Quinoa) by Roland, and Organic Hunza Triple Berry Granola.
igourmet Chocolate Bars of the World Gift Box
A Fantastic Assortment Of Five Mouthwatering Chocolate Bars From Around The World Make Up This Delicious Chocolate Gift Box. Dolfin Belgium Chocolate Bar, French Michel Cluizel Chocolate Bar, Caro Artisanal Chocolate Bar from Spain, jcoco Black Fig Pistachio Dark Chocolate Bar by Seattle Chocolate, and Munz Swiss Chocolate Bar.
Authentic Molcajete Bowls made in mexico
Handcrafted Genuine Mexican Mortar (Molcajete) & Pestle | Volcanic Natural Stone - Lava Rock | Durable and Long-lasting. Perfect For Salsas, Guacamole & Mexican Dishes. (6.5 Inch)
Molcajete in English
Mortar and pestle
Molcajete History
Molcajetes have been used to grind ingredients by Mesoamerican cultures for thousands of years, including by ancient indigenous peoples like the Aztecs and Mayans. They are each hand-carved from a block of volcanic rock, with three short legs to stabilize the bowl. Grinding and mashing ingredients releases essential oils, making flavors deeper and richer than if you’d use a blender.
NURI Portuguese Sardines Variety Pack
8 Pack Gift Box Bundle By Seafood Aficionado | Two of Each | Pure Olive Oil, Spiced Pure Olive Oil, Tomato and Olive Oil AND Spiced Tomato and Olive Oil
Why sardines make a good foodie travel gift
Sardines can be an acquired taste, but anyone who’s spent time in Portugal will recognize them as a quintessential Portuguese delicacy. NURI sardines have been produced the same way and in the same canning factory in Matosinhos for more than a hundred years. Since 1920, the company’s focus has been to preserve the hands-on tradition, following sustainable fishing practices and hand selecting the freshest catch before using it in generations-old recipes; even the cans are wrapped by hand. If you’re ever in Porto, you can even tour the factory.
La Rustichella Black and White Truffles
From the procurement of raw materials, collected in the wonderful Umbrian lands, to the processing and packaging of the product, the entire La Rustichella process is proudly 100% Made in Italy. Rigorous choice and selection of the truffles used for Sliced Truffles, Black Truffle Pate and White Truffle Pates. Vegan, Gluten Free , Cholesterol Free.
Why imported truffles made our list of travel gift ideas
A delicacy for the true foodies, black and white truffles can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars EACH. They must be foraged from damp environments in a very short seasonal window (the best is typically October and December), making them scarce. La Rustichella has been specializing in these delicious little morsels for more than 30 years with the Umbrian native Sergio Brugnoli and his family at the helm of the business.
VinGardeValise Wine Travel Suitcase
Holds up to 8 bottles (Black) with Personalized Luggage Nameplate| Weighs less than 40 pounds (20 kilos) fully packed
How a wine travel suitcase makes a great foodie travel gift
This luggage is for the connoisseur who has yet to find an effective and manageable way to bring home wine, spirits, olive oil, or anything else they’re terrified might break in their luggage. Two of the coolest features this travel suitcase offers are temperature resistance (no worrying about extreme heat or cold anymore) and homing devices, so you can track your bag if it gets lost. The foam inserts are also removable, allowing you to pack bottles on one side and clothing on the other. Barry Wax, the creator says he spent years testing the product against breakages, including throwing it down the stairs in Istanbul’s art district and even off the pier and into the Hong Kong harbor. If it can survive all that, a TSA agent should be no match.
Grassl Liberté Wine Glasses
Set of 6 Mouth-Blown Crystal Universal Wine Glasses for all Red and White Wine Types
Why Grassl Glasses made our travel gift ideas list
Talk about Swiss craftsmanship; what makes Grassl Glass so special is that it takes five expert craftsmen to make one single glass. A multi-step process that includes mouth-blowing, hot-shaping, and slow cooling of one continuous piece of pulled crystal. Grassl artisans must have 20 years of glassmaking experience before they can create the lightweight and ultra-thin crystals wines glasses that are free from imperfections.
Gabriel-Glas Alpha Decanter from Salzburg
Austrian Crystal Wine Decanter - 750ml Capacity
Why the Gabriel-Glas Alpha Decanter is a nice foodie travel gift
Mouth blown by highly skilled craftsmen near Salzburg, the elegant Alpha Decanter is made of lead-free, fine Austrian crystal. Decanting your wine can improve the taste by allowing oxygen exposure to soften tannins while opening up the fruit and floral aromas. But let’s be clear, this is also a stunning piece of art that will elevate any tablescape or bar. Gabriel-Glas, was created by renowned Swiss/German wine critic and author, René Gabriel. He is also the creator of the Gabriel-Glas, a universal, lead-free, all-purpose crystal glass shaped to fully express whichever wine is inside.
Love this gift guide for foodies? Check out more from Manifesting Travel
Ashley Oñoz-Wright has been a travel writer and editor based in Las Vegas, NV for the last ten years. Her work has been featured in Manifesting Travel, Modern Luxury, Sophisticated Living, Greenspun Media Group, Vegas.com and LasVegas.com. She holds a degree in Sociology & Anthropology from DePauw University.
