Valentine’s Day is firmly a food holiday. New couples can keep it low-stakes with a box of treats. Long-distance relationships call for something like a gourmet dinner delivery that shows up where you can’t. People who live together and don’t want another object in the apartment can split and enjoy a subscription between them.
As a food journalist, I’ve been professionally obligated to try shiny new treats over the years with only minor stomach-related consequences. This guide to 16 food gifts is the result. Most of these picks ship in time for Valentine’s Day as of publication, so if you’re reading this late, you’re still in luck. (If you ask me, the food subscriptions would make great last-minute gifts.)
At a glance
Baked by Melissa Mini Cupcakes Box
Baked by Melissa makes reliably giftable cupcakes with signature cutesy looks. Bring this box of 25 to a Galentine’s party – or eat them by yourself! Our time on this Earth is so short. I’ve also found the gluten-free options satisfying, even for someone without celiac. These arrive fresh the literal next day if you order on a weekday before 2pm ET.
Sakuraco Kyoto Valentine’s Snack Box
Founded in Japan, Sakuraco is (probably) the only snack box subscription recognized by the Japanese government as “an important bridge to the rest of the world”. Every shipment is crammed with Japanese snacks, teas and home goods (such as ceramics and chopsticks) sourced directly from family artisans, plus a booklet introducing each treat and its maker. February’s box is themed A Kyoto Valentine’s, and you can expect local goodies such as fluffy Amaou strawberry cake, caramel bergamot hojicha tea and a handmade kimono cloth pouch. Depending on location, it can come in three business days.
Bokksu Kit Kat Sampler
Or get your favorite sweet tooth this variety box of 50 mini Kit Kats. It’s got hard-to-find flavors such as Mont Blanc, milk tea, Ehime iyokan orange and dark chocolate. You can send an e-gift message with your order, too.
Firstleaf Wine Club
Named the best value for your money by our writer Tobey Grumet Segal after she tried eight wine subscriptions. Starting from $45, you get six bottles, tasting cards on each bottle and a “wine concierge service” to help you pick and choose future shipments. “Keep your wine fridge stocked and get a better feel for what you like without blowing your whole paycheck,” Grumet Segal wrote. Also, thanks to its 100% satisfaction guarantee, Firstleaf credits you for any wines you don’t like.
Sfoglini Pasta Club
Live together and eat a lot of pasta? The solution: get them a yearlong subscription to Sfoglini’s wide list of specialty pastas, then reap the rewards together.
Levain Classic Cookies Tin Gift Set
When we asked men across the country about the best presents they ever received, one brought up this tin of freshly baked cookies: “She got me cookies shipped from Levain Bakery in New York one year. They’re chewy and crispy, just how I like them.” Another testimonial: a friend who recently became a new mom received these as a gift. Did I mooch several when the new mom hosted dinner and put them out for dessert? Absolutely. We cleared those cookies.
Also: This arrives within two days.
Jean-Georges Heart-Shaped Molten Chocolate Cake
Disclaimer: I have not personally tasted the Jean-Georges molten chocolate cake, but I’ve heard the legends. Created in the 1980s by fine dining chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, it was probably one of the original viral foods, and scores of chefs have tried to recreate its fluffy exterior and luxurious, melty interior since. If you’re not in New York, or would rather not drop $400 on a dinner, just order the sweetest part of Vongerichten’s menu to your door. It comes in a gift tin with a baggie of powdered sugar and even a mini sieve so you can dust it yourself. And best of all, it can arrive as soon as tomorrow.
Fly By Jing Hot Pot Bomb and Mini Hotpot for Two
It’s hotpot weather. Eat hotpot. Don’t have time to make it at home? I’m sorry to say this hotpot base from Fly By Jing eliminates that excuse. As a deeply lazy cook, I love that it turns plain water into a roiling, rich hot pot broth in a few minutes. Its ingredients are simple: chili crisp, soy sauce, garlic and peanut butter. You can make it extra romantic by getting it with Fly By Jing’s new mini hot pot for two.
Sauz x California Naturals Tomato Bundle
Every tomato lover’s dream: two big jars of very good marinara sauce plus tomato sauce-scented lip balm. This concoction from buzzy sauce brand Sauz somehow works. The Hot Honey Marinara is my favorite: it’s not too sweet, spicy enough to feel it and worth getting on its own.
As for the lip balm, it’s unsettling how much it smells like freshly jarred tomato sauce. That’s a plus for me, but lest that turn you off: it won’t look like tomato sauce on your lips. Instead, it gives off a light and demure reddish tint akin to Burt’s Bees tinted lip balm, plus lots of hydration thanks to California Natural’s organic blend of aloe, coconut oil and beeswax. Apply it before or after having a big bowl of pasta marinara? Or just pull it out of your bag and make people sniff it incredulously, which is my favorite party trick at the moment.
Lover’s Classic Cheese & Charcuterie Board
Boarderie’s cornucopia has 19 different cheeses, meats, dried fruits, nuts, chocolates, crackers … you get the idea. It’s a lot of charcuterie. On top of all that, you get two big hokey cheddar blocks in the shape of you and your dining partner’s initials. You can also reuse the wood tray it comes on. If you’re burnt-out from gift shopping and stressing over what foods are “romantic” but “fun” but “unique” but “will actually get eaten”, just get this board. It can arrive within two days in insulated packaging.
Fly By Jing Chili Crisp Bundle
As chili crisp has become more popular in the US, I’ve tried probably dozens of chili crisp brands. Some are crunchier, some oilier, some full of heat, others mild. I think the best chili crisp has enough balance to enhance (almost) everything you eat it with – and for me, that’s Lao Gan Ma, the OG. But Fly By Jing is a close second and offers a gift box of three of its most popular flavors: original, sweet and spicy, and xtra crunchy.
Primis Pizza Oil
Infused with cayenne and herbs; smells and tastes exactly like a chili-flaked, basil-topped Neopolitan pizza. Lately, I can’t stop dousing popcorn in this stuff like a maniac, and now I’m happily passing along the curse to you and your loved one.
Jeni’s A Date With the Couch Collection
The trick to Jeni’s super smooth and super decadent buttercream ice cream is its cream cheese. The brand pioneered the cream cheese trick – recently, its founder Jeni Britton even accused the New York Times cooking section of “stealing” her recipe when the newspaper ran its own recipe with cream cheese. All this is to say that Jeni’s makes the creamiest ice cream, and it’s best eaten eat straight from the pint. This collection offers six crowd faves including Darkest Chocolate, Boston Cream Pie and Brown Butter Almond Brittle. Share them on the couch for a sweet night in.
Kolsvart Torsken Raspberry and Blackcurrant Mix Fish
Maybe you don’t want to go formal with that box of chocolates but do want to get a little treat. From Guardian copy editor Tammy Tarng: “I’m big on gummy candies and very particular about them: too much elasticity and they’ll stick to your teeth (Swedish Fish feel that way sometimes), too little and it lacks a playful chew. These are the perfect level, and the blackcurrant’s very tasty.”
Oddbird GSM Nonalcoholic Red Wine
Nonalcoholic red wines are “famously tricky” to nail, and many end up tasting like red wine vinegar, according to wine expert Oset Babür-Winter. Not Oddbird’s GSM blend (grenache, syrah and mourvèdre). With juicy black fruit notes and a bold finish, it’s one of the rare nonalcoholic red wines that tastes just like its alcoholic counterpart. Babür-Winter recommends pairing it with steak or a charcuterie board stacked with prosciutto and other cured meats.
Canaan Palestine Jenin Olive Oil
For a gift with a meaningful backstory: this olive oil is made by farmers living in villages surrounding the Palestinian city of Jenin. West Bank-based brand Canaan Palestine works with local farmers to use regenerative agricultural practices and preserve the region’s ancient native trees, even as attacks by Israel have made olive oil harvest difficult in recent years.
