Food Gifts from the 50 States

These 100% cotton dish towels from Uncommon Goods are a vibrant tribute to whichever state you call home. Silk screened with names, images and iconic landmarks to decorate each towel, we  have to agree with Uncommon Goods when they say, "These dishtowels look so good, you might end up framing them." 

For any tea lovers on your shopping list, Alabama's own Piper & Leaf Artisan Tea Co. is the ultimate tea stop for unique brews and gifts like their Piper Gift Set,  which features their Front Porch Special, a black tea with jasamine, spearmint, and bergamont. 

Locals consider anyone outside of Alaska as being on "the outside," so it's good thing that outsiders can purchase a gift box full of native items from Alaska Artisanal and also receive a free post card this season that reads, "You may be outside, but you're always in our hearts." 

Built from the ground up by a family who traded chilly Detroit weather for the warm Arizona sun, the Queen Creek Olive Mill isn't just a shop, it's an agritourism destination.  For the olive oil lover in your life, we're huge fans of this oil and vinegar trio set. 

Arkansas is home to a great shop called Eggshells Kitchen Co., which carries a haven of Arkansas-made goodies such as Robbi's Salsa, which is revered as a Little Rock treasure, or McClard's Barbecue Sauce, a classic staple in the town of Hot Springs. This year, it's easy to find your next favorite Arkasnas-made gift to give to that special someone. 

Pictured: Tangy Coffee Barbecue Sauce, Cooking Light. 

Poco Dolce Confections based in San Fransisco, California has perfected the art of savory chocolate. "Poco Dolce" in Italian literally translates as "not too sweet." These hand-made chocolates, such as the Bitterwsweet Tile Trio, are made in small batches and contain only all-natural ingredients and environmentally and socially concious chocolate. 

For high elevations and snow capped mountains, look no further than the beautiful landscape of Colorado. For delicious native treats like sea salt caramels, small-batch sriracha sauce, and luscious granola, we've got our eyes on the Denver Gift Box from Colorado Crafted. 

Located in the heart of Connecticut is a biscotti shop unlike any other. Sweet Maven's specializes in a traditional Milanese biscotti recipe that is softer and more cake-like than standard rock-hard variations. The pefect accompaniment to coffee or tea, each variation is preservative-free and made with all natural ingredients. 

Coffee from the same place has never tasted so different. Brandywine Coffee Roasters has perfected their roasting style to bring something unique to the table with their Process Series Roast which showcases how two coffees from the same region can possess very different qualities for a dual experience like no other. 

St. Augustine, Florida was founded in 1565, making it the oldest city in America. St. Augustine Distillery Co.  however, is a new endeavor consisting of local collaborators who share the same dream of producing the best small-batch spirits for their community. Locally grown ingredients such as Florida cane sugar are used in products like their flagship vodka, and we think you're gonna love it. 

Harvested from Georgia orchards that have been in the Schermer family for over 65 years,  pecans from Schermer Pecans are a delicious addition to the holiday spread whether you partake in the simplicity of raw pecans or one of the signature candied varieties. Our pick? The Sweet Southern Collection.  

Traditionally, Hawaiian sea salt was used in ceremonial blessings of voyaging canoes to bring in abundant catches and good fortune. To this day, a gift of salt is considered a symbol of good luck and makes a beautiful and meaningful gift. We love these salts from Sea Salts of Hawaii, which are naturally harvested on the island of Molokai and the Kona coast and also help give back to the community. 

One of the top-selling candy bars in the Northwest and the Idaho Candy Company's best-seller, the "Idaho Spud" bar actually contains no potato at all!  A delicious combination of a soft marshmallow center inside of a dark chocolate coating and sprinkled with coconut makes it easy to see how this candy bar has been a favorite for nearly a century. 
 

You may be familiar with the flavors of Chicago, like deep dish pizza, hotdogs, and cheesecake. Well, by ordering from Tastes of Chicago, you can enjoy pizza from Lou Malnati's, hot dogs from Portillo's, or a cheesecake from Eli's right at home. It's a Chicagoan's dream come true! 

Nick's Kitchen, located in Huntingdon, IN, is home to many Hoosier favorites, like their breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches and hand-dipped shakes. They're also famous for their homemade pies, which you can buy online. The fan favorite? Their sugar cream pie, a deceptively simple but maddeningly delicious pie. Trust us, you won't be able to have just one slice.

Nut butter fans, unite! From the heartland of Iowa comes a collection of all-naural nut butters unlike any other.  Whatever your preferences, you can find what you're looking for from Butter Me Up! Nut Butters. Our pick? The deliciously sweet and irrisistable White Chocolate Almond Butter. Just be warned, you'll want to eat it by the spoonful! 

With a huge variety of hand-made chocolates and confections to choose from, the family owned Hazel Hill Chocolates might just be Kansas' best kept secret. With so many treats, confections, and gifts to choose from, anyone can find something delicious to fit their tastes. As for our favorite item, we bet you've never seen or tasted caramel apples quite like these before.

Family owned for four generations, Pappy & Co. has always prided itself on making the finest bourbon, but they didn't stop there. After all, what's a good maple syrup without a little bourbon? Aged for 100 days in 23 year old bourbon barrels, this maple syrup is simply one of a kind. In their words, "Our maple syrup is sweeter than Southern hospitality," and we couldn't agree more. 

The good folks over at Swamp Pop have achieved the almost impossible task of taking all of the sweetness of Louisiana and putting it in a bottle. Their Praline Cream Soda celebrates the sweet flavor of classic New Orleans pralines and combines it with irresistible bubbles and fizz. Thirsty yet?

The beautiful coast of Maine is home to many who have turned the area into the seafood capital of the Northeast. If your pick is lobster, look no further than the Hancock Gourmet Lobster Co., a company that began as a way to spread the love of Maine lobster to those far and wide. Our favorite pick is the Lobster Mac 'n Cheese. 

With a wide array of dressings and condiments that are vegan, gluten-free, and made with all-natural ingredients, it's easy to see why Tessemae's All Natural is ready to take over the world. A vegan ranch and caesar dressing? Trust us, it's truly as amazing as it sounds.

McCrea's Caramels can be summed up in their words as, "Possessed by the single, simple idea to make the best caramel in the world—nothing less." The man behind it all, Jason McCrea, has perfected his caramel recipe and shares his candies with those near and far. Surprise family and friends with a gift box this year for a sweet treat. 

Calling all cookie fans! We've found some truly incredible cookies just in time for this holiday season. The trademark thick and fluffy texture of Monica's Gourmet Cookies are out-of-this-world amazing. We think you'll agree, these may be the best cookies you've ever tasted. 

Family owned and operated, Annie B's Popcorn and Caramels really brings that small-batch cooking style and handmade quality that takes delicious to a whole new level. If you really want to say "Wow," just try one of their handmade caramels! 

A fresh cake shipped straight to your door? You better believe it. Sugaree's Bakery brings their A-game to all of their amazing confections. Our pick? Their classic and incredible Caramel Cake. 

Those at Askinosie Chocolate have a saying that goes, “It’s not about the chocolate, it’s about the chocolate," which captures their balanced approach to perfecting chocolate from around the world to better serve the world, which makes it that much sweeter. 

Who doesn't love a great cup of coffee? Those at Kafe Utza would not only agree, but passionately agree with that statement. For their small-batch roasts, they use beans from fair trade suppliers, a custom built roaster imported all the way from Israel, and another important ingredient: love! 

Home of the delicious chocolate meltaways, Baker's Candies has a variety of treats and confections to please everybody. For the Nebraska fan in your life, give the gift of candy with the Nebraska Husker's Box, filled to the brim with both milk and dark chocolate meltaways. 

Specializing in artisanal pickling and brining recipes, the Nevada Brining Co. knows exactly how to make the perfect pickle. We're particularly excited about their unique Pickled Cauliflower, because with flavors like curry and peppercorns, we might not be able to put down the jar. 

The folks over at Fuller's Sugarhouse sure know what they're doing. Between churning out delicious maple candies to perfecting their authentic New Hampshire maple syrup, you're bound to find something delicious for the maple-lover in your life. Our pick this holiday season is the maple syrup trio gift set. 

For a truly fresh coffee experience, look no further than New Jersey's own Booskerdoo Coffee Co. They roast each batch of coffee the same day it's mailed out, so you can be sure you're getting the freshest coffee imaginable. Our picks are the classic Jersey Diner Style Blend, and for the most impressive dark roast you'll ever try, the After Dark Fair Trade Organic Roast.  

New Mexico is famous for its chiles. Luckily for everyone, Los Poblanos, a beautiful historic inn and organic farm, dishes out some amazing jars of chile rojo and chile verde, and with those festive colors, they're the perfect way to spice up the holidays this year. 

Jacque Torres Chocolate takes pride in their real, authentic, chocolate and the use of the finest ingredients in the creation of each and every confection. With their expert help, you can whip up your own treats right at home with this decadent chocolate chip cookie mix. 

We just love that all of the small-batch and artisan confections from French Broad Chocolates are "made with love and good stuff."  That's exactly the way that chocolate should be, and by the looks of the Ashville Grown Truffle Collection, we'd say that's exactly what they're made of. 

Potato chips dunked in delicious chocolate? Pinch us, we must be dreaming! The good people at Chipperz Delights have graced us with a sweet gluten-free treat worthy of celebration. Try their assorted options for milk chocolate, dark chocolate, and white chocolate varieties. 

Buckeyes are the classic candy of Ohio. With that perfect chocolate exterior and melty peanut butter interior, it's easy to see why they are so popular. For over 25 years, the good folks behind Marsha's Homemade Buckeyes have perfected the peanut butter and chocolate buckeye, and we couldn't be happier about that. 

Andrews Honey Bees knows honey, and they also know that the types of honey out there are as unique as the bees and flowers they come from. Their honey is high quality and gravity strained to preserve its natural state. We love the cinnamon cream honey, a smooth and creamy honey with a perfect hint of cinnamon. 

Steven Smith Teamaker provides Portland, Oregon with plenty of reasons to cozy up to a warm mug of tea this season. We love their Silent Night Tea, a caffiene-free herbal blend with sweet notes of peppermint, cinnamon, and sweet licorice, also known as a "candy cane in a cup." 

At Eat This, each product is made from scratch from locally sourced ingredients that don't include preservatives or arfiticial ingredients. We love the stackable, resuable jars included in this 3 Jar Wood Crate Gift Set that features three unique and sweet jams such as their orange saffron cardamom marmalade. 

In Rhode Island, the state's favorite drink might be something you've never heard of: coffee milk. By stirring a coffee syrup into milk, like this one from Dave's Coffee, you can enjoy this tasty beverage that is a unique testament to Rhode Islanders everywhere. 

In the South, biscuits are pretty important. No one knows this better than the mother/daughter duo behind Callie's Biscuits, which is the perfect way to bring the warm southern charm of Charleston biscuits to folks all over America. Our pick? These perfectly fluffy cocktail ham biscuits. 

This holiday season, we're stuffing our cheeks with some decadent truffles and chocolate confections from Chubby Chipmunk, a South Dakota chocolate shop that really is as cute as it sounds and with chocolate that's exactly as heavenly as it looks. This shop also works with a rare chocolate called Fortunato #4, a recently rediscovered type of chocolate that ages just like wine. 

With a classic shortbread recipe that spans over 30 years, it's easy to see why Willa's Shortbread is a fan favorite across the South. We love the sleek look of the Spirit of Nashville Tin, which would make a perfect gift for the Music City lover in your life. 

We love great barbecue, and this holiday season you can give the gift of Texas with sauces and seasonings from The Salt Lick, a barbecue establishment where our friends over at Southern Living said, "This is where we would go if we could visit only one place." 

Bear Lake, Utah is an area that's famous for its raspberries. From jams, to syrups, to gift boxes, Chad's Raspberry Kitchen brings the country style flavor from field to kitchen in only a few hundred feet. If that wasn't sweet enough, the company also has an inspiring story. Learn more about Chad and his family here.