7 Stark County foodie gifts to give this holiday season

Gervasi Vineyard wines
Gervasi Vineyard wines

The holidays are a time for celebrating and gathering with friends and family. When everyone gets together, they tend to gather in the kitchen.

From the cousins sneaking candy off the table to the aunts and uncles drinking wine and grabbing hunks off the cheese ball to grandma pulling a dish out of the oven, the kitchen is always a happening place, bustling with excitement.

And all of that excitement tends to be around the food. When all else fails, food and weather tend to be safe topics. And because you can’t gift someone the weather they desire, food-related gifts are always a good choice.

Here are seven foodie gift ideas sure to make your friends and family happy.

Honadle's has a wide selection of chocolates, including dark chocolate and milk chocolate varieties.
Honadle's has a wide selection of chocolates, including dark chocolate and milk chocolate varieties.

Chocolate

You can’t go wrong with chocolate. Get an assorted mix of milk and dark chocolate candies, avoiding nuts if anyone is allergic. If you know the recipient loves a specific kind, say caramel, be sure to double and triple up on those flavors. Ben Heggy Candy Co., Laura’s Candies & Nuts, Anastasiades Exclusive Chocolates, Waggoner Chocolates, Hartville Chocolate Factory and Honadle’s Fine Chocolates are all delicious options in the area.

Cookbooks

Cookbooks are great to gift the cook in your life. Look for themed ones highlighting everything from baking to healthy options to slow cooker recipes, or even celebrity chefs or bakers known on social media. Look at local bookstores to see if you can find any cookbooks highlighting local chefs or recipes created by Stark residents.

Wine club membership

The wine aficionado in your circle would love a wine club membership. Gervasi Vineyard offers a quarterly wine club membership, in which the recipient will receive a selection of Gervasi wines in four quarterly shipments throughout the year. Choose from three or six bottles per quarter. Some wines may repeat within the year.

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Gift cards to restaurants, coffee shops

Restaurant and coffee shop gift cards are always a safe bet. Take it a step further and gift multiple gift cards so the recipient can enjoy them throughout the year. Stick with favorites or switch it up and include new restaurants. Melange, Blue Habanero, New Berlin Brewing Co. and M&H Beans are just a few new spots that opened in Stark County this year.

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Canton Food Tours

Sign up to go on a Canton Food Tour with the recipient of your gift, and enjoy hopping from one restaurant to another while enjoying delicious bites at each stop and learning more about each restaurant. Make it even more fun by going as a group.

Cooking classes and food-tasting events

It’s always fun to learn something new in the kitchen, and cooking classes and food-tasting events are the perfect way to do that. In Stark County, Gervasi Vineyard has culinary classes led by Gervasi Vineyard Executive Chef Jerry Risner or Meg Feller, owner of Lemon Leaf Catering. Gervasi also offers tasting events and tours.

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Assorted food boxes

If you’re big into DIY gifts, assorted food boxes are a fun gift idea. Snag locally made food items and put them in a box or basket. Think local chips, sauces, wine, chocolates, meats, bags of coffee, cookies, baked goods, whatever the gift recipient likes. Who doesn’t love being gifted treats like this? Hazel & Rye Bakery Boutique, Carpe Diem Coffee Shop, Dioguardi’s Italian Market & Deli and Yoder’s Bulk Foods & Deli are just a few spots to source from.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: 7 Stark County foodie gifts to give this holiday season