Gourmet gift shops are now turning to the internet to bring their epicurean offerings to more customers. Many of these sites that only sell fresh, organic, and/or seasonal produce feature gourmet gift baskets that can be shipped nationwide or hand-delivered to nearby cities. They also have more diverse options in terms of gift items and basket arrangements that can suit all kinds of occasions, recipients, and budgets.
Contents of the gourmet gift basket
fruit Many gourmet stores sell fully organic fruits. Some of the reasons for this specific preference include:
– fresher and more pronounced taste;
– use of far fewer chemicals;
– environmental friendly; and
– for some, greater adherence to the principles of “fair trade”.
Options are often restricted to what is seasonally available, especially for exotic fruits. Gift baskets can contain anything from apples, pears, and grapes to star fruit, dragon fruit, bananas, and avocado.
Some stores only sell fresh fruit arrangements, while others also carry preserves, dried fruit, and chocolate-dipped dried fruit.
Walnuts. Nuts are great snacks because they are packed with nutrients and easily fill the stomach. ace
ingredients, they are prized for their versatility, often added to sweets, cakes, and salads to balance strong flavors. Certain regional cuisines also use them in their main dishes for texture.
In gift presentations, whole nuts can be paired with dried fruit, a classic pairing, or included in a sundries basket. Glazed nuts are also popular, while nut butters, such as peanut, cashew, and almond butters, are less common.
sweets. Gourmet sweets are always a crowd pleaser. Not only do they use organic ingredients, but they are also commissioned from the best bakeries and sugar artisans in the city. Cakes, pastries, and confections, such as cupcakes, cookies, scones, hard candy, and brownies, are popular items, but chocolates are always a favorite. Chocolate selections include candies, bars, fondue sets, bonbons, molded and carved figures, and chocolate-covered fruits and nuts.
cheeses Treated with traditional ancestral methods and/or organically approved, the cheeses are the best delights in a gourmet gift basket. Many of them only come from special regions around the world, mainly due to strict production laws and a lack of the necessary types of milk. Parmigiano-Reggiano, the famous Parmesan cheese from the Parma region of Italy, is one example.
Gourmet cheeses in gift baskets come with their usual “partners in crime,” including breadsticks, crackers, olives, and wine.
cured meats Along with cheese, cured meats make a great addition to a food basket as a source of protein. Like cheese, some of the best cured meats come from specific places in the world, like prosciutto from Italy and smoked fish meats, roe and caviar from various countries.
Gourmet seasonings. Some stores carry special varieties of certain condiments such as mustard, olives, vinegars, and oils.
As palates become increasingly sophisticated, foodies are increasingly turning to the internet to satisfy their gourmet food cravings. There, they are presented with a wider range of options from different local and international sources. Fresh, delicious, organic and practical, what more could you ask for?