The Foodie Gift Guide For Your Gourmand

The best gifts do not come in small packages. The best gifts come in half-pint cartons or dusted with saffron or sealed with the promise of a perfectly baked chocolate chip cookie. For the culinary fan, the perfect present might be found in the freezer instead of under the tree. Yes, shopping for a foodie can be challenging for some. After all, odds are good they already have an ergonomic garlic press and the complete collection of molecular-gastronomy literature. But, we did our homework. We ate a lot of cookies and read a lot of recipes and sprinkled lots of fancy sea salt on many a bowl of soup.

Here, you will find 26 seriously great gifts to please the pickiest palate. Gadgets, books, ingredients, subscriptions, and just some crazy-good chocolate: We're about to make your holiday shopping a lot easier — and probably spoil your lunch. Sorry/you can thank us later.