With holidays proper across the nook, it’s time to contemplate items for family and friends. Fortunately, the Carolinas have a wealth of meals and beverage objects able to buy and ship on to your family members. From dry sizzling sauce to caramel cake to North Carolina ham, you’ll discover one thing for everybody in your record right here. There’s stocking stuffers, extravagant presents, and every part in between. And, in case you’re not within the giving temper this yr, save just a few of those merchandise to top off your individual pantry. Purchase native and purchase usually — listed below are the Eater Carolinas-approved objects in your consideration.

Deemed the world’s first “dry sizzling sauce,” Benny T’s Vesta is a should for warmth heads. These spices add all the warmth and taste, with out the addition of vinegar, like most conventional sizzling sauces. Vesta is available in varied warmth ranges and could be sprinkled on every part, from eggs to pizza to soups. For these with tastebuds of metal, attempt the Scorpion, made with the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion chili, one of many hottest on the planet.

Oliver Pluff & Co is a line of teas, toddies, wassails, and coffees, hand-packaged in Charleston, South Carolina. For the winter season, it has launched its vacation mix, which mixes black tea with orange peel, cinnamon chips, and orange flavoring. It’s an awakening refreshment to start out the day cozied as much as a fire.

A box full of colorful tins filled with various spices.

Make dinner straightforward with this Spicewalla package.
Spicewalla

Seasoning firm Spicewalla, from Asheville chef Meherwan Irani, has tons of spice tins to select from, however for the final word present, attempt the “What’s For Dinner?” bundle, which makes an attempt to unravel the age-old query of “What’s for dinner?” Flick the dinner spinner for the class after which select from one of many included 15 recipe playing cards. Cuisines embrace Indian, Mexican, breakfast, barbecue, and Italian.

Charleston-based Rewined has a line of spirited candles scented like in style cocktails. The gin fizz carries whiffs of cucumber, elderflower, and botanical gin. Rewined additionally has traces of wine-scented candles and vacation favorites, “Wine Underneath the Tree.”

Chai masala-flavored Poppy popcorn.
Poppy

Asheville-based popcorn firm Poppy teamed up with Asheville-based spice firm Spicewalla to create a brilliant craveable bag of chai masala-spiced popcorn. It’s a bit candy, quite a bit crunchy, and stuffed with warming spices like ginger, cinnamon, inexperienced cardamom, black pepper, clove, and allspice. The bag pairs properly with a cup of tea or a glass of champagne.

The identify could also be Massive Spoon, however these peanut butters are made in small batches in Durham, North Carolina. Founders Mark and Megan Overbay solely use one of the best elements, and you may style the distinction. The brand new El Rico chocolate peanut butter is a collaboration with California-based Rancho Gordo — it’s beautiful on toast topped with bananas within the morning or straight out of the jar.

A large Dutch oven on a pink background.

The bigger measurement of the Smithey Dutch oven can feed an entire crowd.
Mike Ledford

Should you actually wish to impress the house cook dinner in your life, present up with a just lately launched large-format Dutch oven (it holds 7 1⁄4 quarts) from Charleston-based Smithey Ironware. This massive boy can deal with cooking for larger teams — which makes it good for the entertainer or sizable household in your life. Smithey’s signature end won’t ever chip or crack, and it seems to be nice simply sitting on the stovetop.

Two bottles of simple syrup, one is blood orange, the other is tonic.

A James Beard-worthy cocktail is one cargo away.
Mike Ledford

Durham-based bar Alley Twenty Six obtained a James Beard Award nomination this yr for Excellent Bar Program. Cocktail lovers can have a little bit of that have at dwelling with fancy syrups from founder Shannon Healy. Contemporary flavors like blood orange can actually kick up an Outdated Normal made proper in your kitchen.

9 Mile presents three distinct flavors of sizzling sauce.
9 Mile

For individuals who love a bit of warmth, Asheville-based Caribbean restaurant 9 Mile has bottled its flavors for dwelling consumption. The Trinity bundle contains bottles of Crimson-i (chipotles and fire-roasted tomatoes), Hempress Rising (tomatillos and jalapenos), and Solar is Shining (mango, ginger, and curry). Even when your giftee doesn’t cook dinner, these sauces can kick up takeout from Indian fare to tacos.

Slices of nation ham would possibly seem to be an odd present, however in case you had been to open these on Christmas morning, you’d have a grand addition to your biscuit breakfast (assuming somebody made biscuits that day). Based mostly in Landis, North Carolina, Alexander’s Ham Co. has cured pork merchandise since 1950. It says it proper on the bundle: “Nice for ham biscuits.” Go massive and order an entire ham.

A number of nice books got here out of the Carolinas this yr. The Misplaced Southern Cooks by Charleston author Robert Moss tells tales from the start of economic eating within the nineteenth-century South. Edible North Carolina is a group of recipes and essays from writers, farmers, and cooks, together with lovely pictures from Baxter Miller, to inform the story of meals actions throughout the state. Gullah Geechee Dwelling Cooking by Edisto Island matriarch Emily Meggett shares the historical past and recipes of the Gullah Gechee folks within the South.

Tonya’s Pecan Crisps are good for snacking.
Mike Ledford

Entrepreneur Tonya Council is the granddaughter of famed Southern chef Mildred Council, higher often called Mama Dip to followers of the Chapel Hill restaurant Mama Dip’s. Tonya has fond recollections of cracking pecans along with her late grandmother. Whereas working at Mama Dip’s, Tonya tried her hand at making a cookie that tasted like her grandmother’s pecan pie — finally, the pecan crisp was born. It’s mild and crunchy with simply the correct quantity of nuttiness and sugar.

Peaches are extra related to hotter climate, however who wouldn’t desire a style of the Southern summer time in the midst of winter? Charleston-based Crimson Clay places out a spicy peach honey and a peach sizzling sauce. Crimson Clay recommends the honey for every part from biscuits to ice cream.

A slice of white cake on a white plate.

No have to bake with Caroline’s Cake supply.
Mike Ledford

South Carolinian Caroline Ragsdale Reutter served her first caramel cake in 1982, and since then, Caroline’s Truffles have turn into a staple of celebrations within the South and past. Based mostly out of Spartanburg, South Carolina, the bakery ships big confections straight to your door. The well-known seven-layer caramel cake is only the start — in addition they make flavors like candy potato (an Oprah favourite), chocolate peppermint, coconut cloud, and extra.

A simple syrup bottle with a gold nozzle, next to a rocks glass.

Add a lift of taste to cocktails or espresso with Daysie.
Mike Ledford

Daysie easy syrups got here out of a pandemic venture from Charleston entrepreneur Tara Pate. In an try to enhance her dwelling espresso bar, she couldn’t discover any worthy syrups, so she made her personal. Now Pate has a line of three flavors: Madagascar vanilla, salted caramel, and coconut almond. The syrups can be utilized in coffees, teas, and cocktails. The glowing gold spout makes the bottle worthy of counter area.

Charcuterie, goat cheese, and olives on a plate.

A charcuterie unfold from chef Katie Button.
Whitney Anderson

Can’t make it to Cúrate in Asheville this vacation season? Effectively, then have chef Katie Button’s meals delivered to you (or to a liked one). The charcuterie-tasting field comes with three Cúrate sausages, goat cheese, figs, North Carolina honey, a mix of olives, and crackers — an ideal unfold for many who desire a restaurant meal however don’t wish to cook dinner.