The Best Holiday Gift Is Something You Can Eat

"I find the sentiment that food brings us together especially true of holiday food gifts when the creativity that takes place in the kitchen becomes the building blocks that make memories, create traditions, and fuel our connection to others. Rolling and wrapping caramels to drop into a sleeve. Decorating sugar cookies, then leaving them out for Santa. Slicing a pie after a holiday dinner. I know several people from Puerto Rico who spend a good part of the season bottling coquito to share with friends and coworkers, as well as folks who ship tins of homemade holiday cookies near and far."

"In fact, most food gifts can transcend socioeconomic boundaries, age, and culture and serve as little acts of diplomacy. Cherry preserves from Washington, spice blends from the Carolinas, or honey from California are whispers of home that help us express our region's culture, history, and ethnicities. Gifts like cookbooks, bottles of wine, air fryers, and popcorn makers encourage action-ultimately to create something delicious to share."

"Last year former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy visited the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen and discussed his booklet, "Recipes for Connection." Gathering, he said, is a cure for the loneliness epidemic and a pathway to better understanding. He encouraged us to invite people over to share a meal. It doesn't have to be fancy. "The cornerstone has always been being together and making food together," he said. It could even be a few batches of cookies or some preserves that everyone takes home as a gift."

Homemade holiday food gifts create personal connections by turning kitchen creativity into memories, traditions, and shared experiences. Simple acts—wrapping caramels, decorating cookies, slicing pie, or bottling coquito—become meaningful gestures that people give and receive across distances. Food gifts can bridge socioeconomic, cultural, and generational divides, conveying regional identities through preserves, spice blends, and local honey. Practical gifts that inspire cooking, like cookbooks or appliances, encourage further shared meals. Gathering around food also addresses social isolation: inviting people to cook and eat together fosters understanding and community and can be as modest as sharing cookies or jars of preserves.

Read at Bon Appetit