Edible Birthday Gifts for the Person Who Has Everything
Some people already own the gadget, the sweater and the book. An edible birthday gift gets around that: it is opened, shared and eaten, and it leaves no clutter behind. The gifts below are grouped by the person you are buying for, a sweet tooth, a savory snacker or someone who mixes drinks, each with its listed price.
Three boxes, a small gift and a price table follow. For gifts sorted by budget for any occasion, see the fine food gifts under $25, $50 and $100.
For the sweet tooth: a chocolate bar
Amano's Raspberry Rose is a 55% bar made with cocoa beans from the Guayas River Basin in Ecuador, raspberries, rose petals and whole vanilla beans. Amano says the bar is a homage to a raspberry rose cheesecake its founder tasted at Pierre Hermé's pastry shop on rue Bonaparte in Paris (shop Amano Raspberry Rose, $14.99).
Dick Taylor's Brown Butter bar starts with the maker's 73% Northerner Blend dark chocolate, infused with browned Humboldt Creamery butter and finished with roasted cacao nibs and sea salt. Dick Taylor makes it bean to bar in Eureka, California (shop Dick Taylor Brown Butter, $12.00).
Omnom's Sea Salted Toffee bar is milk chocolate with toffee and Icelandic sea salt; the listing says Omnom makes it bean to bar in Reykjavik with organic ingredients and Icelandic dairy (shop Omnom Sea Salted Toffee, $8.49).
For the savory snacker: a tin and crackers
José Gourmet is a Portuguese conservas brand launched in Lisbon in 2008 by Adriano Ribeiro. Its sardines with lemon and olive oil come in a 125 g tin and go on toast, into a salad or straight from the tin (shop José Gourmet sardines with lemon, $8.49).
Ekone Oyster Co. grows Pacific oysters on long lines in Willapa Bay, Washington, then steams, brines and smokes them in small batches at its cannery in Bay Center. The habanero version adds heat (shop Ekone Habanero Smoked Oysters, $12.99).
Add something to eat them on. Rustic Bakery bakes its sourdough flatbread in Marin County, California; the Sel Gris version is made with olive oil and grey sea salt from France (shop Rustic Bakery Flatbread, Sel Gris, $9.00). Bushwick Kitchen's Bees Knees Spicy Honey blends wildflower honeys from the USA and Argentina with habanero; the maker created it in Brooklyn in 2014 and suggests it for pizza and cheese plates (shop Bees Knees Spicy Honey, $19.00).
For the one who mixes drinks
Luxardo has made its maraschino cherries since the company was founded in 1821. They are candied Marasca cherries in Marasca cherry syrup, and Luxardo suggests them as a cocktail garnish and on ice cream (shop Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, $19.50). Pair the jar with Angostura aromatic bitters, made to the same recipe since 1824, 44.7% ABV in a 4 oz bottle (shop Angostura Aromatic Bitters, $12.99).
For a birthday person who does not drink alcohol, St. Agrestis Amaro Falso is a non-alcoholic amaro made with citrus, botanical and herbal ingredients, sold as two 200 mL bottles. Pour it over ice or use it as a cocktail base (shop St. Agrestis Amaro Falso, $13.00).
Candles and confetti for the cake
Knot & Bow's tall birthday candles are 100% pure beeswax, hand-dipped in Canada and packed in Brooklyn: twelve candles, each 6 inches tall, ivory fading into color, with a burn time of 30 minutes. Choose pink ombre (shop tall pink ombre candles, $8.00) or aqua ombre (shop tall aqua ombre candles, $8.00). A single-serving bag of white metallic confetti, made in the USA, is enough for one toss (shop white metallic confetti, $3.00).
Finish with a card. Ginger P. Designs' birthday card reads "The world is a better place with you in it," with gold foil and a blank inside, 4.25 by 5.5 inches folded (shop the Ginger P. Designs birthday card, $4.00).
Three boxes and a small gift
Each box below fits in a red gift box with a magnetic flap lid, 8 by 8 by 4 inches (shop the red magnetic gift box, $10.00). Totals do not include the box.
The sweet box: Amano Raspberry Rose ($14.99), Dick Taylor Brown Butter ($12.00), Omnom Sea Salted Toffee ($8.49) and tall pink ombre candles ($8.00). Together: $43.48.
The savory box: José Gourmet sardines ($8.49), Ekone smoked oysters ($12.99), Rustic Bakery flatbread ($9.00) and Bees Knees Spicy Honey ($19.00). Together: $49.48.
The drinks box: Luxardo cherries ($19.50), Angostura bitters ($12.99) and St. Agrestis Amaro Falso ($13.00). Together: $45.49.
A small gift: the Dick Taylor bar ($12.00), tall aqua ombre candles ($8.00) and the Ginger P. Designs card ($4.00). Together: $24.00.
Edible birthday gifts, by price
| Gift | Person | Listed price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Knot & Bow white metallic confetti | Any | $3.00 | One single-serving bag |
| Ginger P. Designs birthday card | Any | $4.00 | Gold foil, blank inside |
| Knot & Bow tall beeswax candles | Any | $8.00 | Twelve 6-inch candles |
| Omnom Sea Salted Toffee | Sweet | $8.49 | Icelandic milk chocolate |
| José Gourmet sardines with lemon | Savory | $8.49 | 125 g tin |
| Rustic Bakery Flatbread, Sel Gris | Savory | $9.00 | Sourdough flatbread |
| Dick Taylor Brown Butter | Sweet | $12.00 | 73% dark, nibs and sea salt |
| Ekone Habanero Smoked Oysters | Savory | $12.99 | Willapa Bay, Washington |
| Angostura Aromatic Bitters | Drinks | $12.99 | 44.7% ABV, 4 oz |
| St. Agrestis Amaro Falso | Drinks | $13.00 | Non-alcoholic, two bottles |
| Amano Raspberry Rose | Sweet | $14.99 | 55%, raspberries and rose petals |
| Bees Knees Spicy Honey | Savory | $19.00 | Wildflower honey and habanero |
| Luxardo Maraschino Cherries | Drinks | $19.50 | Marasca cherries in syrup |
Prices follow the listed price on each product page. Products ship across the continental U.S. from theambrosianpantry.com.
Short answers
What is a good edible birthday gift? One matched to the person: a craft chocolate bar for a sweet tooth, a tin of sardines and crackers for a savory snacker, cocktail cherries and bitters for someone who mixes drinks.
What can I give for a birthday for under $25? A chocolate bar, a box of beeswax candles and a card: the Dick Taylor bar, tall candles and the Ginger P. Designs card come to $24.00.
Is there a birthday food gift for someone who does not drink? St. Agrestis Amaro Falso is non-alcoholic, and it pairs with the Luxardo cherries.
The shop is at 263 Josephine Street in Cherry Creek, Denver.
