19 Foodie Gifts the Frolic Team Is Giving This Christmas

 

We call these foodie gifts, but let’s face it—nearly everybody appreciates a gift you can eat or drink. Or that reminds you of eating or drinking. Or that helps you eat or drink. With these generous parameters in mind, we’ve compiled this roundup of what the Frolic team is gifting this year: 19 delicious, practical, whimsical, beautiful picks, almost all of them made in Hawai‘i.

 

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SEE ALSO: Editors’ Picks: Holiday Gift Guide 2023

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Beer Lab Hawai‘i holiday crowlers and beer merch

 

 

If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the beer fan who has everything, Beer Lab Hawai‘i is always ready this time of the year with festive holiday-sweater-inspired crowler cans. Fill these 32-ounce crowlers with a beer like “You Better Not Stout” (ABV 10%), a cinnamon bun-inspired dark beer, one of their fruity LOOP Seltzers, or another classic beer style—or consider a gift card so they can choose their favorite. Logo key chains, bottle openers, glass reusable growlers, and special collaboration items like Beer Lab x Eden in Love bags are also available. As the labels exclaim, “it’s the most wonderful time for a beer!” —Alexander Gates, Frolic

 

Crowler fills $14 to $18, multiple locations, beerlabhi.com, @beerlabhi

 

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SEE ALSO: Beer Lab Just Opened a Beer Garden and Poke Counter on Beretania

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Firehouse Blend, Tradition Coffee Roasters

 

 

Intrigued by a promise that Firehouse Blend “tastes great even after it has cooled in your cup,” I bought a bag from this Windward roastery and have been hooked ever since. Now I blend this with Tradition’s espresso, another medium-dark roast, to drink hot or iced. There are gift sets you can buy that hold small bags of Firehouse Blend, Roaster’s Select and the limited-edition Mele Kalikimaka coffees (I love a vertical tasting). But what I love most is that all these beans and blends, whether locally or globally sourced, are roasted on-island—as are beans from ChadLou’s, Local Joe, Island Vintage Coffee and others. —Mari Taketa, dining editor, Frolic and HONOLULU

 

$19 for a 12-ounce bag, traditioncoffeeroasters.com, @traditioncoffeeroasters

 

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SEE ALSO: Near Kapa‘a Quarry, a Hidden Gem Café at Tradition Coffee Roasters

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Global Snacks

 

 

Fun snacks that our neighbor island and mainland friends and relatives can’t find so easily rank high on my holiday gift list. This year, I’ve picked up treats from Japan, South Korea, Canada and Malaysia, among others. My niece in Seattle has an ongoing competition with her friends to find the most unusual chip flavors. I recently sent over yakiniku potato chips. And spicy curry corn chips. The search continues! —Robbie Dingeman, Frolic

 

$4 to $7 a bag, Times Supermarket, Don Quijote

 

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Holiday chocolates, Choco le‘a

 

 

Choco Le‘a always has beautifully presented chocolates, but its new holiday chocolate collection launched on Black Friday is even cuter. I love the festive packaging, and the sizes are just right for quick gifts for coworkers and acquaintances. Here’s what I got from the Mānoa shop:

• Four-piece Holiday Truffle Box (gingerbread, peppermint, dark fudge toffee, hot cocoa), $13.99
• Hot Cocoa Mix, $4.99
• Chocolate Cake Snug in a Mug (add water and oil to bake a single-serve cake in the microwave), $8.99
• Merry Mint Bar, $14.99
• Santa’s Oreo Stack, $4.99 —Melissa Chang, Frolic

 

2909 Lowrey Ave., chocolea.com, @chocoleahawaii

 

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Honey-glazed walnuts, Sing Cheong Yuan

 

 

I’m not a sweet tooth. But having eating my share of overly battered, mayo-laden honey walnut shrimp over the years, my eyes lit up when I saw a bag of honey-glazed walnuts at this Chinatown bakery. It cut to the chase: crunchy, light and addicting, 100% delivering the best part of the dish (because who doesn’t try to hoard the walnuts in honey walnut shrimp?). Plus, walnuts are heart-healthy, so there’s that, never mind in this case they’re deep-fried. These are also stocking- and shipping-friendly. —MT

 

$5.75, 1027 Maunakea St., singcheongyuan.com, @singcheongyuanbakery

 

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Iron wok or pot, Don Quijote

 

 

If your foodie friend is missing Tokyo’s Kappabashi kitchen district, outfit them with an iron pot or flat bottom wok to step up their cooking game and kitchen aesthetic. These pans require some attention to store and prepare for use, but the more they’re used, the more they’ll become your friend’s favorite cookware. —Thomas Obungen, associate editor, Frolic and HONOLULU

 

Iron pot $29.99, wok $25.99, multiple locations, donquijotehawaii.com, @donquijotehi

 

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JP’s Classics aloha shirt, Kāhala Sportswear x Bar Leather Apron

 

This collaboration shirt from Kāhala Sportswear captures the spirit of signature cocktails from Downtown’s James Beard Award-winning Bar Leather Apron. It’s exactly the vibe you want to sport when you’re sitting in those cushy leather seats, sipping on a Matcha Old Fashioned. —TO

 

$110, kahala.com, @kahala

 

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Kuleana Rum Works bar, Honoka‘a Chocolate

 

 

I recently went to a tasting of Honoka‘a Chocolate, and it was some of the smoothest, most complex local chocolate I’ve ever tasted. Although not widely known, these handcrafted chocolates made from Hawaiian cacao have won 34 national and international awards. Most recently, the Kuleana Rum Works bar won silver at November’s International Chocolate Awards World Finals, while the Bourbon Bar was declared the winner at the 2023 Good Food Awards. My personal favorite is the Limited Edition Bar Leather Apron Barrel Aged 70% Bourbon Bar, made with a custom blend of the premiere Downtown bar’s Knob Creek Bourbon: It offers bright, buttery, toffee flavors followed by a kick of bourbon. —Diane Seo, editorial director, HONOLULU

 

$13 to $20, available online and at a Dec. 13 holiday pop-up at Island Boy at 3464 Wai‘alae Ave., honokaachocolateco.com, @honokaachocolate

 

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Liliko‘i Lychee Soda, Hawaiian Soda Co.

 

 

Of the five flavors at Hawaiian Soda Co., liliko‘i lychee is my favorite: The floral taste of lychee, made from a puree, gets more depth of flavor with the rich sweetness of liliko‘i. There are no artificial ingredients or added sugar—it’s just the natural sweetness of the fruit juices, with just a little stevia. Cans are sold individually. Find them at Foodland, 7-Eleven Hawai‘i, Don Quijote and a few other retailers. —Katrina Valcourt, executive editor, HONOLULU

 

$2.50 to $3.99 per can, hawaiiansodaco.com, @hawaiiansodaco

 

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Local General Store gift card

 

 

The best butcher shop on the island carries only local meats—beef, chicken, pork, lamb, venison—and the butchers have great suggestions on what cuts of meats will be best for your dish. They also do custom cuts. And while you’re there, pick up pastries that often highlight some of Hawai‘i’s overlooked fruits, like jackfruit or jaboticaba, in addition to excellent chocolate croissants. —Martha Cheng, Frolic

 

3458 Waialae Ave., thelocalgeneralstorehi.com, @thelocalgeneralstorehi

 

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SEE ALSO: The Local General Store Brings Meats and Sweets Under One Roof

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Maui Chili Chili Oil

 

 

Chili oil filled with garlic chips became a must-have umami-with-a-kick condiment in our house during the pandemic. This year, our foodie wishes came true: Now there’s a local version, made on Maui, that perks up leftovers, eggs, noodles, poke, anything that could use a little oomph. Maui Chili Chili oil comes in three spice levels: mild kine, medium and spicy kine spicy. Deron and Kit Furukawa’s pandemic pivot is a welcome addition to the local condiment scene. —RD

 

$13 to 17, mauimauichilioil.com, @mauichilichilioil

 

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Meli Wraps

 

 

I like giving practical gifts, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be cute. Meli Wraps hit the mark because they come in a bunch of patterns, ranging from tropical fruits to sharks, and they’re easier to use than Saran Wrap—no annoying cling overlap that you can’t undo. Perfect for covering leftovers or taking snacks on the go. Plus, the wraps are made locally from beeswax and cotton and can be reused for up to two years. A nice add-on gift to edible goodies. —Andrea Lee, digital editor, HONOLULU

 

$18.99 for a small and 2 mediums, $23 for a small, medium, large 3-pack, available at House of Mana Up and other stores, meliwraps.com, @meliwraps

 

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Okoshi, Made by Aliyoko

 

 

The okoshi you know may be sticky and dense. That was the local-style Japanese puffed rice snack I knew: yummy but gooey-sticky from the Karo syrup that cemented the rice, dense from the puffs having gone stale. Alison Yokouchi’s version, magically crispy and beautifully flavored with a kiss of butter, rocked my okoshi universe. I ration them like gold ingots because Aliyoko, who created desserts at Morimoto Asia and the Halekulani, now creates them mostly at pop-ups.

 

Two new flavors of okoshi have appeared at her Christmas pop-ups: hazelnut with cacao nibs and matcha and black sesame, both made with freshly puffed organic brown rice from The Rice Factory in Kaka‘ako. My family ordered three dozen bags. Watch her Instagram for details of her next pop-up at Ethel’s Grill in Kalihi on Dec. 23. —MT

 

$10 for a 5-ounce bag. Pre-orders only by Instagram direct message at @madebyaliyoko

 

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Paradise Sea Salts

 

 

My love affair with great local salt continues. Paradise Sea Salts are appealing, easily packable gifts for casual cooks as well as friends who keep a dozen kinds of salt in the pantry. A friend got me my first bag of Lava Glow, golden with ‘olena or turmeric; it goes into steamed broccoli, quick scrambled eggs, stews and comforting bowls of dal. Ocean Smoke adds a smoky flavor and has a hint of purple with the addition of butterfly pea, and the lush Rainforest Blend includes māmaki tea, parsley and spirulina. The Papaikou-based company keeps adding flavors to tempt different palates. —RD

 

$9.95, various retailers, paradiseseasalt.com

 

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Shrubs, Hawaiian Vinegar Co.

 

 

I love the fresh flavor combinations that Hawaiian Vinegar Co. bottles into its shrubs, vinegar-based syrups infused with local fruits, herbs, veggies, spices. Seltzer water on ice topped with an ounce of ginger basil, salted lemon or Meyer lemon mint cardamom shrub are easy drinks that feel festive without alcohol. The same shrubs can also jazz up a boozy drink in a couple of quick steps. While more retail shops are selling the farm-to-bottle shrubs, it’s worth a drive to the shop in Wahiawā to chat with owners Brandon and Poni Askew as they mix up shrubby mocktails. —RD

 

$26 to $29, various retailers, 672 Kilani Ave., hawaiianvinegarco.com, @hawaiianvinegar

 

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Tomato jam, Morning Glass Coffee + Café

 

 

Morning Glass Café’s new foray into retail is a lovely way to introduce friends to the goodness of this open-air shop in Mānoa. Stuff their stockings with a jar of Morning Glass’s special tomato jam. Normally only found on its Egg-a-muffin breakfast sandwiches and incredible Good Burgers, this jam is now made in larger batches for spreading on your avo toasts, burger buns and crackers. —TO

 

$8 (small) or $12 (large), 2955 E. Mānoa Road, morningglasscoffee.com, @morningglasscoffee

 

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Wine bags, Island Bungalow

 

 

I give and receive a lot of booze during the holidays. A lot. I don’t care how bottles are presented to me, but I prefer to give mine in festive bags. I recently found Island Bungalow’s cute, local-style textiles at its Kailua store; they’re all printed at the Kaka‘ako store. I bought one of each to match my Sake Shop gift recipients: a classic monstera, whimsical papaya and funny Spam musubi. —MChang

 

$6, multiple locations, islandbungalowhawaii.com, @islandbungalow_hawaii

 

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Zero-G ginger beer, Bitter Root Brewery

 

 

We first told you about BRB Hawai‘i last November when it started slinging its alcoholic O.G. Original Ginger Beer at golf tournaments and other events on O‘ahu. Now the company has switched focus to a Zero-G version without alcohol—at least until it can secure a space to brew the O.G. too. Bottles of the spicy drink highlight the best of Hilo ginger without the soapy taste you sometimes get from the overpowering root. On its own, it’s satisfyingly crisp, especially on this winter’s 89-degree afternoons. You can mix it into a cocktail, too (follow BRB on Instagram for recipes from Braddah Brick), or just mix with some apple cider for a winter-in-Hawai‘i thirst quencher. Honestly, I’ve done all three and prefer it on its own. —KV

 

$5 per bottle or $18 for a four-pack, Venmo or cash only, email bitterrootbrewery@gmail.com to arrange a pickup, @brb_hawaii

 

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Zippy’s Pool Party Collection

 

 

No one is having a bigger glow-up this holiday season than Zippy’s. A collaboration with Jasper Wong showcases the local artist’s whimsical designs on tote bags, bucket hats, tumblers, saimin bowls and lanyards. The collection dropped on Black Friday and blew up on social media. The most popular item, the chopstick and soup spoon set, sold out in days; now the Everything Bundle and the bowl-spoon-chopstick set are also sold out. I’d head to the website sooner rather than later.  —Gregg Hoshida, Frolic

 

$7 to $18, online only, shop.zippys.com