A Canadian Culinary Gift Guide

Travel our country through taste, and support artisanal food producers through this Canadian culinary gift guide.

When it comes to curating a selection of food gifts for the holidays, I often go the route of homemade, and indeed, I’ve given you lots of simple, homemade edible gift ideas. A pretty jar of granola or tin of hand crafted cookies are a delight, but sometime you need an extra special culinary gift for the gourmand in your life.

A jar of cedar-infused maple syrup. A fireweed tea, forage in the wild and fermented by an artisan tea-maker. A maple mustard combining the best ingredients from Quebec and the Prairies. A dark birch syrup, harvested in early spring. Juniper-smoked sea salt from the rocky coast of Newfoundland. These are just but a few of my picks for Canadian-crafted food gifts that are ethical, unique and exceptionally delicious.

Interested? Then this Canadian culinary gift guide is for you. It’s packed with my favourite products from coast to coast!

15 Canadian Food Gifts from Coast to Coast

Below is a list of beloved specialty products from across Canada that would make exceptional gifts any time of the year. As much as possible, I’ve showcased women-owned businesses, and highlighted Indigenous and BIPOC folks doing extraordinary work.

It’s a delight to travel the width and breadth of our country through taste. For example, one dollop of the Honey Horseradish Mustard from Smak Dab and I am transported back to my Babka’s 100 year old family farm on the Prairies, where horseradish is rooted deep in the ditches, and pairing it with locally grown mustard seed makes so much sense.

I hope you’ll find a new favourite artisanal treat for yourself on this list. I’ve included links to buy the products; most of them ship across the country. Know that you’re supporting products that are made in Canada. Elbow’s up!

Bush Berry Teas | British Columbia

Women-Owned | Ships Canada-wide | Ethical & Traceable | Sustainable

In the West Kootenay Mountains, an small, organic tea company is blending remarkable loose-leaf brews from both locally harvested Canadian herbs and fair trade Nepalese teas. They are also leading the way in eco-friendly packaging, transparency, fair farming practices and environmental responsibility. I love that the packaging is compostable!

This rainy month I’ve been loving ‘Silent Night’, an organic white tea blend with peppermint, elderflower, orange peel and ginger. I don’t know how, but it tastes like November…with a hint of Christmas to come.

Find it here: Bush Berry Teas

JACEK Chocolate Couture | Alberta

Women-Owned | Sustainable | Gives-Back | Ethically Sourced

I’m thankful to food writer Karlynn who introduced me to award-winning Edmonton-based JACEK Chocolates. My kids can have their leftover Halloween candy…these gourmet chocolates are for me and myself alone.

A bean-to-bar chocolate factory with the mission to “spread joy”? Sign me up. So far the salted caramel chocolates are my favourite, but Santa, please bring me that Advent calender so I can discover more flavours like Basque Cheesecake, Almond Cherry Stollen and Poached Pear.

Find it here: JACEK Chocolate Couture

PEI Preserve Company | Prince Edward Island

Women-Owned | Ships Canada-wide | Gives Back

Rooted in history and focused on future, the legendary Prince Edward Island Preserve Company is an institution. Go for tea-time and a lobster croissant, but leave plenty of time to browsed the charming gift shop. I always come away with armloads of cozy preserves, like Hot Pepper Jelly and my favourite, Apple & Cranberry Spreadable Fruit.

A visit to PEI Preserves is like getting to raid grandma’s pantry for home-canned goods. I particularly love the low-sugar fruit preserves and beautiful curated gift boxes.

Find it here: PEI Preserve Company

Birch Bark Coffee Co | Ontario

First-Nation Owned | Sustainable | Gives Back | Fair-Trade

I first discovered Birch Bark Coffee through Well.ca, when I was looking for Indigenous business to support. Now we’re addicted to their organic, fair-trade brew, especially knowing each bag purchased supports clean water efforts, food security and Indigenous community programs across our country.

Find it here: Birch Bark Coffee Co

Epices de Cru | Quebec

Traceable | Single Origin | Family-Run

Montreal-based Épices de Cru (or Spice Trekkers) are my favourite spice merchants on the planet. Their high quality whole spices, authentic blends, premium teas and luxury baking ingredients are a staple in the Simple Bites kitchen.

Gift their spice kits to friends – and then stock up on essentials for your holiday cooking and baking.

Find your spices here: Épices de Cru

No 7 Hot Sauce | Ontario

Female-Owned | BIPOC-Owned | Vegan

A bold taste of Mexico in the Great White North, thanks to husband and wife team Sandra and Carlos Flores.

We’ve loved their habanero hot sauce for years (I featured No 7 in my 2020 edible gift guide) and now we stock up on barbecue sauce and spicy ketchup. I appreciate that the barbecue sauce is not overly sweet, and feature a perfect balance of tart flavours and mild heat. Wing night, anyone?

Find it here: No. 7 Hot Sauce

Smak Dab Mustard | Manitoba

Women-Owned | Canada-Wide Shipping | Gluten-Free

A powerhouse of flavour packed into a jar and served up from the heart of Canada; Smak Dab has been a favourite of mustard mine for years! I love the Canadian Maple Mustard for the holiday season, while the Hot Honey Jalepano mustard is a staple for burgers and sandwiches.

Find it here: Smak Dab Mustard

Haskap Highland Orchards | Nova Scotia

Family-Run | Locally-Grown | Superfood

My kitchen is never without Hascap Highland products, be it a jar of preserves, haskap juice or a stash of frozen berries in my freezer. Yes, the Nova Scotia wild blueberry is beloved, and rightfully so, but haskaps are the real superfood. (Pst: Ladies, read about haskap juice for menopause support.)

This product is mainly available in Eastern Canada, but look around for haskaps where you live.

Find it here: Haskap

More Faves from Nova Scotia:

Rousseau Chocolatier. Lightfoot & Wolfville wines. Tangled Garden. Check out Taste of Nova Scotia for many more products.

Buzz Hot Honey | Nova Scotia/Ontario

Female-Owned | Canadian Honey | Natural

All of the Zing Pantry Shortcuts are fabulous, but chef Christine Flynn’s hot honey is a kitchen essential. I’ve been lucky enough to sit at Christine’s table here in Nova Scotia, where she generously drizzles this hot honey on everything from pizza to smoked chicken, charred cabbage to warm potato buns.

This condiment is the easiest way to elevate rustic comfort food. Gift a jar to friends, sure, but make sure to pick up one for yourself, too.

Find it here: Buzz Hot Honey

Wabinaki Maple | New Brunswick

Indigenous Owned | Women-Owned | Gives Back

The sweetest gift this holiday season is small-batch, barrel-aged Wabinaki maple syrup, harvested from the forests of New Brunswick. This is such an exceptional product! New releases include pure maple syrup infused with gourmet ingredients such as dark chocolate, cedar, chipotle and my favourite, the tart and sweet elderberry.

Find it here: Wabinaki Maple

Nice Cans | Ontario

Women-Owned | Sustainable

Canada’s own MSC-certified premium seafood label. Not just a pretty package, these tinned sardines are sexy as heck! No grazing board is complete without a tin or two of these brain-boosting delicacies.

I love the sardines simply in olive oil and sea salt, but try sardines with rosemary, tomatoes, peppers and more. PS: Charlotte has even expanded the brand into a cookbook, so watch for that coming early next year.

Find it here: Nice Cans

Sweetapolita | Ontario

Women-Owned | Ships Canada-wide

Clara and I absolutely adore all the magical sprinkles and fun accessories that Rosie dreams up. No cookie-baking party is complete without a heap of Sweetapolita sprinkles! The little gift sets and treat decorating kits are such an easy way to spread holiday cheer.

Find it here: Sweetapolita

Newfoundland Salt Company | Newfoundland

Sustainable | Small-Batch

Finishing salt produced in small, handcrafted batches from the clean waters of Trinity Bay in beautiful Bonavista, Newfoundland. Purity and outstanding flavour are just a few of the qualities in this exquisite Atlantic product.

I particularly love their four salts gift boxes; a real treat for the gourmand in your life.

Find it here: NSC

Prairie Berry Spreads & Syrups | Saskatchewan

The Saskatoon super-berry from the Canadian Prairies – now available in a wonderful array of products including chocolate-covered, freeze dried, spreads and syrups.

Find it on Sask-Made: Prairie Berries

Bonus: Kalikori Olive Oil | Quebec via Greece

Women-Owned | Traceable

Folks in the Montreal region, look for Kalikori olive oil. This summer my cookbook club organized an olive oil tasting where we sampled high-end products from Italy, Spain, South Africa, Palestine and Greece. My personal favourite was Kalikori, and I now endeavour to keep it stocked at all times in my kitchen as a peppery finishing olive oil.

Bonus II: Support an Author | Buy my books

I still get asked all the time where people can buy my cookbooks. Thank you! Should you wish to support a Canadian author this Christmas, here are a few links.

You can also ask your neighbourhood independent bookstore to order them in for you – anywhere in North America. Thanks so much!

Happy Holiday to all.

A Canadian Culinary Gift Guide