The Best Food Gifts for Every Type of Valentine

Two pounds of chocolate Kisses is a lot of chocolate Kisses(about 200 pieces, if you’re wondering) —but drama is fun, andthis way they’ll be reminded of how much you love them for months to come.

Strategist senior editorHilary Reidonce described this non-fusty assortment of miniature fruits as a “stylish alternative to the old Valentine’s Day box of chocolates.”

If you are, in fact, committed to the old Valentine’s Day box of chocolate, Compartés makes an especially stunning one.

These orangettes — orange peels that are cooked in sugar until they’re tender, balanced, and translucent, then covered in dark chocolate — hail from La Maison du Chocolat in Paris. They’re a perfect midday pick-me-up or after-dinner bite.

Restauranteur Danny Meyer and Jeni Britton Bauer, founder of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, are both big fans of Askinosie. “One hundred percent of the chocolate he sells is traceable to the farmer who grew the cocoa beans himself,” Meyer says. “That’s probably not something you find on your average Whopper.”

Several Strategist staffers are big fans of BonBon, which sells naturally colored candies imported from Sweden. They look like kids’ stuff —but are delicious on a whole other level. This assortment comes with a two-pound mix of both sour and sweet varieties (or you can buy asmaller $30 versioninstead).

See’s lollypops are a classic (and to the right person, they might even feel like a nostalgic throwback). Butterscotch was always my personal favorite, but you can opt for chocolate, vanilla, or cinnamon too.

All of the offerings at Dandelion Chocolate are fantastic. Any one of itschocolate boxeswould make an excellent alternative to the Compartés above — but for something a little different, it also has this exceptionally delicious chocolate cake made up of a brownielike crust surrounding a rich, velvety chocolate filling.

Laurie Ellen’s shortbread cookies are ago-to edible giftof mine. She’s likely to have more seasonal flavors soon, so keep an eye out, though I don’t think you can go wrong with this pairing, which includes one package of Chocolate Orange Shortbread and another of Chocolate Cherry Shortbread.

Another gorgeous cookie option comes from Pâtisserie Fouet.“All their sweets are so refined and decadent,” says Zach Mangan, owner of the matcha companyKettl. “Eating a cookie from them is like your first glass of really nice wine — once you experience it, you can never go back.”

Strategist senior editorWinnie Yangwas given a box of alfajors over the holidays and says they’re so good, she’s going to steal the idea for the remainder of the year. This box has six individually wrapped cookies, each with a layer of dulce de leche nestled between shortbread and covered in a thin coating of meringue icing.

If you thought panettone was just for Christmas, think again. Olivieri 1882 makes heart-shaped versions for Valentine’s Day, including this two-sided version — one with candied apricots and the other in a deep, rich dark chocolate.

Pantry staples aren’t as obvious of a Valentine’s Day gift as chocolate or candy, but for the right recipient, a bottle or jar of something special will go a long way. Flamingo Estate’s olive oil and balsamic vinegar are bottles they’ll treasure for drizzling over many meals to come.

For just vinegar, treat them to a special bottle of ACV. No shade to Bragg’s, but this stuff actually tastes like apples — juicy, tart, and sweet.

Here’s a very cute Valentine’s Day date-night idea: Get them a box of pasta essentials from Giada De Laurentiis’s line, Giadzy. Then cook together! This one is for pasta e fagioli, but she has others, too.

If you’re more of movie-night-in pair, get them a big canister of extra-special popcorn. This one is made in collaboration with Big Sur Bakery; includes notes of cardamom, maple, and nutmeg; and is dotted with pecans and candied orange peel.

Honey to stir into their tea or coffee will be an especially nice upgrade if they currently use a grocery-store-bought honey bear. This one from Detroit Hives is recommended by recipe developer and cookbook authorJulia Turshen, who loves how the company supports the local Detroit community.

“This chili vinegar tastes like Frank’s RedHot, but so much better,” say Helena Barquet and Fabiana Faria, owners of New York City’s beloved design shopComing Soon. “The chili they use is a bit sweeter, but the overall taste is more vinegar-y. It delivers more than just heat.” It can be used on eggs, in Bloody Marys — pretty much anywhere.

Deliverance makes some of our favoritegranola(also a nice gift idea), but this crunchy sprinkle topping is more unexpected and delightful. You can choose from original, “a little spicy,” or “a little sweet” flavor profiles — each one a mix of different crushed nuts, seeds, and spices. Better yet, get all three.

Botanica is the ultimate all-day café and restaurant in Los Angeles — so you know it has the California-based products on lock. Any loved one stuck somewhere in the country with real winter is sure to appreciate this gift box, which includes olive oil, honey, and a seaweed sprinkle all sourced from around the state, plus pickled farmers’ market vegetables, a package of Rose Delights gummies, and an herbal tea blend.

Kettl’s matcha is super high quality, and perfect for anyone in your life who likes to fix their own cup. This variety, which the company describes as light and sweet, isone of manyto browse.

A subscription is the gift that keeps on giving. This one, ourtop pick,allows you to customize the kind of beans that will arrive based on the general category of coffee you like, whether light, dark, nutty, or fruity. We also have a roundup of greatwine subscriptionsif that’s more their thing.

C. Cassis — a blackcurrant liqueur made in the Hudson Valley by Rachael Petach — would make a beautiful addition to their bar cart. (The currantsare grown just a few miles down the road from where the product is made.) It’s delicious to sip on its own or mixed with seltzer for a light spritz.

Via Carota’s bottled cocktails come in vessels as elegant as any bottle of booze, and are as perfectly balanced as you find them in the famed New York City restaurant. I love its negroni, but there are others to choose from, too, like anold-fashionedorespresso martini. Just chill, pour, and drink.

If they prefer a nonalcoholic cocktail, St. Agrestis makes some great ones. You’ve probably heard of the brand’s Phony Negroni (the most common to see around, and a favorite of several Strategist staffers) — but this pack also includes mezcal negroni, amaro, and espresso negroni bottles.