Frolic’s ‘Onolicious 2025 Holiday Gift Guide: 14 (Edible) Treats Foodies Will Love
Part 2 of Frolic’s foodie gift guide is (almost) all locally made, so you know you’ll be on Santa’s nice list.
If visions of poke bowl tree ornaments and pasta-shaped pasta bag clips had you drooling last week, Part 2 of our holiday gift guide is for you: All the picks are edible (or drinkable). And yes, all are drool-worthy. Here are the personal favorites the Frolic team is gifting to foodie friends this year.
SEE ALSO: 20 Fun, Stylish, Handy Gifts That Foodies Can Use
Photo: Melissa Chang
Corner Rolls Green Lickah hot sauce
The guys from the Corner Rolls developed their own spicy sauce that’s so good, they decided to bottle … I mean bag it. Originally, it was meant to be paired with their creative spring rolls, but the positive public reaction spurred this idea. It’s an exclusive blend of green Thai chile, serrano pepper, lime leaves, condensed milk, lime, vinegar, sugar and salt. Green Lickah is actually available with free gift wrap/box if you pre-order it. I also like that it’s shelf stable, so you can keep it under the tree; it doesn’t need to be refrigerated it until it’s opened. —Melissa Chang, Frolic
$14.99 for a 240-ml bag at the Hawai‘i Farm Bureau’s Thursday Kailua and Saturday KCC market and other events, online at cornerrolls.com, @corner.rolls
SEE ALSO: 2025 Holiday Gift Guide: HONOLULU Magazine Staff Picks
Photos: Andrea Lee
Okonokai Sea Crunchies Limu Furikake
For rice, salad, ramen and more, punch up the flavor with this crunchy, tangy furikake made with Kona limu. It’s a small bag, but a little goes a long way in making your food look and taste more appetizing. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from this product benefits the Waikalua Loko I‘a in Kāne‘ohe. —Andrea Lee, HONOLULU digital editor
$12.99, available online and at select retailers, okonokai.com, @okonokai
Photo: Courtesy of Huff ‘n Puff
Huff ‘n Puff Macadamia Nut Delights
When my coworkers brought in a bag of Huff ‘n Puff Macadamia Nut Delights, I knew I was in danger. I love mac nuts, with their light sweetness that’s a little like vanilla and a little like honey, all wrapped in nutty goodness. Add the crunch of puffed rice and it’s over. It’s only six ingredients (puffed rice, mac nuts, sugar, butter, light corn syrup, vanilla), so I convinced myself that it was healthy-ish and ate three puffs. They’re pretty light, so one more serving couldn’t hurt. And then somehow the bag was gone. This local treat is made in ‘Aiea by Huff ‘n Puff and found in local supermarkets and at craft and gift fairs. —Eric Baranda, Frolic
$8.50, hnphawaii.com
Photo: Alexander Gates
Local Barrel-Aged Imperial Stouts
For the beer fan who has tried everything, it doesn’t get more special than a barrel-aged imperial stout: thick, impossibly strong and filled with flavors of the holiday season, these are aged for months to years in wood barrels.
Howzit Brewing’s “Holiday Rush,” at 10.5% ABV, is a 50/50 blend of a stout aged 18 months in Willett Rye whiskey barrels and another aged in Elijah Craig 8-year barrels.
Beer Lab Hawai‘i’s annual Black Friday can drop is called “Breakfast De Luxe,” a monster 12% stout made with pancakes, maple syrup and bacon. Order 4-packs of cans ($25) online early or give a gift card to let your loved ones enjoy it on draft. —Alexander Gates, Frolic
$17 a can, Howzit Brewing, 330 Kamani St., Kaka‘ako, howzitbrewing.com, @howzitbrewing
$25 for a 4-pack of cans, Beer Lab Hawai‘i, multiple locations, beerlabhi.com, @beerlabhi
Kailua Seasoning Co.’s Maldon Chili Sea Salt
What’s a gift you love to give because you’d be just as stoked to get it yourself? For me, it’s spices. Salts, peppers, dry brines, rubs: My go-to is Kailua Seasoning Co., and half the time I’m there just to poke around and see what’s new. My latest score? Maldon Chili Sea Salt. The iconic hand-harvested finishing salt is mixed with Aleppo and bird’s eye chile flakes. I’d been hunting for it online for months, but it was always overpriced or came with ridiculous shipping. Now, it’s finally mine. Oh, and it comes in a fragrant garlic blend, too—truly the perfect little gift for your favorite salty foodie. —Maria Burke, Frolic
$12.99, 402 Uluniu St., Kailua, (808) 210-8568, kailuaseasoningcompany.com, @kailuaseasoningcompany
Photo: Katrina Valcourt
Hibiscus Mint Tepache
Pineapple Road Beverage Co.’s nonalcoholic sparkling cocktail recently hit shelves around the North Shore. Less tangy than shrubs but more complex than flavored sodas, the fermented pineapple drink uses locally sourced ingredients and is full of probiotics and prebiotics. With less than 0.5% alcohol by volume, it’s a refreshing alternative in a booze-heavy season. The only downside is you buy it cold and must keep it refrigerated. I really like the hints of peppercorn, cinnamon and star anise that balance the tartness of pineapple and hibiscus. —Katrina Valcourt, HONOLULU executive editor
$4 for a 12-ounce bottle at Bizia Surf & Coffee Bar, also available at The Fixx Hale‘iwa, pineappleroad.co, @drinkpineappleroad
Photo: Diane Seo
Ko Farms Dried Apple Bananas
As someone who loves candy (especially gummies) but is trying to cut back, these Ko Farms dried apple bananas are a sweet blessing. I saw them at the Ko Farms booth at the KCC Farmers Market and after a bite, I knew it would be my next addiction. They’re sold in two sizes, and I typically finish the big bag in a day. Yes, by myself. What I love: They’re chewy (like gummies), and incredibly sweet, like eating a ripe apple banana. I’ve gifted bags to friends, and everyone raves. Plus, Ko Farms is a great local farm to support, consistently producing high-quality, organic greens and fruits in Palolo. —Diane Seo, HONOLULU editorial director
$6 for a small bag, $11 for the large, available at KCC Farmers Market on Saturday morning, @kofarmshawaii.organic
Local Patês + Laser-Etched Charcuterie Boards and Salt Cellars
Like many of you, my budget is tighter than ever this year, but I can count on Daguzan Charcuterie and Island Keepsakes when I need to find a small budget gift with big impact. Daguzan’s locally made chicken liver, venison and pork patês are at farmers markets and online, while Island Keepsakes appears at holiday craft fairs and mākeke with loads of cutting boards, charcuterie platters, salt cellars and other kitchen items laser-etched with a touch of local flair. I’m a fan of the lei designs and the protea. Boards range in size and price from $10 all the way up to $80. —Thomas Obungen, HONOLULU special products editor
daguzancharcuterie.com, @daguzan_charcuterie, @islandkeepsakeshi
The 2024 collection. Flavors this year are updated. Photos: Alison Yokouchi
Made by Aliyoko Okoshi Gift Box
Between travel and visitors, holiday gifting started early for me: Aloha Alfajores cookies for visiting relatives, a Farm Link gift card (see below) for our housesitter. But what I’m giving most is an update of a perennial favorite. The beauty of local pastry chef Alison Yokouchi’s okoshi rice puffs isn’t just their light crisp and restrained sweetness, it’s that the playful flavors are a mix of greatest hits and new creations. Lately, there’s this six-pack combining the new Cherry Yoko with 2.5-oz bags of apple cardamom, Everything But the Bagel, Grinch (matcha with black sesame), hot cocoa, and hazelnut with cocoa nibs—in a gift box tied with a pretty bow. —Mari Taketa, Frolic editor
$30, pre-order at @madebyaliyoko for pickup on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Chillest Shave Ice, 3408 Wai‘alae Ave., Kaimukī
Photo: Brie Thalmann
Mānoa Chocolate Peppermint Crunch Bar
Made in small batches in Kailua with crushed organic candy cane, roasted cacao nibs and creamy white chocolate, this decadent treat is like Christmas in a bar. Mānoa also offers a yummy dark chocolate version, but the white chocolate is this year’s buzzy new release. Ghirardelli who? —Brie Thalmann, HONOLULU home and style editor
$12, manoachocolate.com, @manoachocolate
Magnolia Hawai‘i, Kāhala Mall, 4211 Wai‘alae Ave., Kāhala, magnolia-hawaii.com, @magnoliahawaii
Photo: Andrea Lee
It’s Tea Instant Boba Kit
If you’ve missed It’s Tea since it closed last year, you can still get a taste of their Okinawa Black Sugar Milk Tea with this boba kit. All the ingredients are included; you just need a microwave and ice. There’s enough to make three cups for you and your giftees to share. —AL
$15, sold at AC Market and Common Ground in AC Hotel, 1111 Bishop St., Downtown, @itsteahawaii
Photo: Brie Thalmann
Islander Sake Mini Bottle Set
I love that this set offers 3 different flavors—liliko‘i (my personal fave), classic Junmai Daiginjo and Islander’s newest offering, Kona Coffee—for under 50 bucks. Gift it to a lucky sake fan or break it up to give as individual stocking stuffers. —BT
$46.99 for a set of 3 150-ml bottles, islandersake.com, @islandersake
Photo: Katrina Valcourt
Crunchy Black Sesame Butter
It can go either sweet or savory, but I have planned multiple holiday brunch dishes around this nutty spread from Rooted Fare (black sesame banana crumb cake! Black sesame banana bread!), created by Chinese American childhood friends. Think of it as peanut butter’s more interesting cousin to smear on French toast, drizzle on ice cream or stir into a latte. (Unlike peanut butter, it isn’t gluten-free.) Common Ground is the only place you can buy it on O‘ahu. —KV
$15 for an 8-ounce jar at Common Ground, 1111 Bishop St., Downtown, commongroundhnl.com, @commongroundhnl
Photo: Mari Taketa
Farm Link Gift Card
Ten years in the making, Farmlink Hawai‘i has grown into an epic all-local online—and now in-person!—grocery source. Whenever I post my hauls, friends DM me that they’ve been meaning to check them out. So what better gift than fresh produce, proteins and pantry staples, all grown or made right here in Hawai‘i? You can even use a Farm Link Hawai‘i gift card at their new brick-and-mortar shop, Hō‘ili‘ili, on South Beretania. Few gifts thrill a foodie more than the ingredients for a new recipe or solid staples to keep them going. And the bonus? You can give any amount you want. —MB
2065 S. Beretania St., Mō‘ili‘ili, (808) 367-0606, farmlinkhawaii.com, @farmlinkhawaii
SEE ALSO: 14 Cool Things You’ll Find IRL at the New Hō‘ili‘ili by Farm Link
