The best Christmas gifts that every foodie will love

These little dumpling chopstick holders may not seem like much at first glance – apart from being absolutely freaking adorable! – but they’re also giving back to the local community. For every dumpling purchased, A Freaking Dumpling works with the charity food bank Feeding Hong Kong to donate six real and edible dumplings to people who need it most. Since launching in January 2021, the brand has already donated over 10,000 dumplings. You can buy these dumpling chopstick holders online which come in a set of two or more, and they even have a special Christmas edition gift box with a set of six dumplings and a brand stamp from a well-known Sheung Wan stamp shop (半閒山館).

Price: Set of 2 $268; Christmas gift set $858
Where to buy: DM instagram.com/afreakingdumpling to order

For friends that aren’t drinking this Christmas, for whatever reason, show them you care with a festive gift box by sparkling tea brand Saicho. The box set comes with three fantastic cold-brewed sparkling tea flavours including zesty and woody Darjeeling, deep roasted Hojicha, and beautifully floral Jasmine, so they can toast to Christmas and New Year’s Eve without feeling left out. Available in 200ml and 750ml formats, you can purchase a few bottles or cases, or opt for the collection sets and try the full range of flavours.

Price: Saicho mix collection ($1,100 for six 750ml bottles); Saicho mini box collection ($980 for 24 200ml bottles) 
Where to buy: saichodrinks.com

This small-batch bean-to-bar chocolatier based in Hong Kong offers unconventional chocolates for the culinarily curious. Using beans from a single farm in Vietnam, Conspiracy Chocolate makes their chocs with only two ingredients: cacao and raw organic cane sugar – with no additives – for a 75 percent dark, nutrient-dense vegan bar. Their newest releases include an 85 percent Almonds & Salt and Black sesame caramel bar worth trying. They also have CBD and CBG chocolate so you can give these to friends and family members that could do with a little chocolate break. Mix and match flavours to create your own gift set or gift one as a little pick-me-up for several friends.

Price: From $29 upwards
Where to buy: conspiracychocolate.com

Hong Kong-based brand 852Prints offers a great range of apparel, accessories, and greeting cards that reflect the city’s quirky cultural nuances in a cheeky way. Plus there are a lot of dad jokes in the mix! We love all the Christmas cards which are designed and printed in Hong Kong on FSC recycled paper with environmentally friendly inks – in particular, the pak ‘Choy to the World’ and ‘Santa Claws’ with chicken feet illustration is our favourite. They also have 100 percent cotton t-shirts, one of which has a Japanese fish-shaped soy sauce bottle which is a cute gift for any sushi loving friend. All tees are embroidered in small batches to reduce waste.

Price: Greeting cards $39 each; T-shirt $279
Where to buy: 852prints.com

Providing Hong Kong with some of the hottest sauces there are, Fiyah Heat Store is bringing the burn this festive season with a gift pack that is sure to please any hot sauce enthusiast. The fiery Torchbearer Sauces gift box includes a sample of eight mini bottles of different flavours including honey BBQ, chipotle BBQ, Carolina BBQ, Oh My Garlic, honey mustard, Sultry hot sauce, Tarnation Habanero, and Zombie Apocalypse ghost chilli sauce, so the person you gift can try a variety of hot sauces with their turkey this year. The team at Fiyah are always stocking up on new and intriguing sauces from around the world, so it’s worth checking those out while you’re shopping too.

Price: Gift box $250
Where to buy: fiyahheatstore.com

In collaboration with Colombian fashion designer Johanna Ortiz, Nespresso has launched a Festive collection that includes limited-edition coffees, a nomad travel mug, and an advent calendar, all inspired by the forest. The gifts will also help the brand in its commitment to protect 10 million trees in the Amazon. Coffee wise, the festive coffees feature two flavours: a juicy Forest Fruit and a sweet and nutty Forest Almond flavour, as well as one spicy and woody Forest Black espresso coffee. Get the 5-sleeve Festive Variations or Festive Espresso Selection for existing Nespresso drinkers, or go all out with the sleek and stylish Nespresso Atelier coffee machine which froths up even plant-based 'milk', so they can make all their favourite coffees a little healthier, all at the touch of a button.

Price: Festive coffee sleeves $281; Nespresso Atelier machine $3,188
Where to buy: nespresso.com/hk

For those looking to gift an extraordinary experience, Black Sheep Restaurants are offering some cool ones this Christmas including dining experiences across their venues. Be it a picnic at the peak with a Rajasthan Rifles hamper, or our favourite, the Italian pasta-making class for two at Associazione Chianti. The hands-on lesson will take participants behind-the-scenes with the chef to learn about the heritage of pasta and includes Tuscan antipasti, dessert, a bottle of wine, and the freshly made pasta you created. Classes are available Monday to Thursday from 3pm-5pm Monday to Thursday.

Price: Picnic $800; Pasta making $2,000
Where to buy: allwewantfortheholidays.com

If you're looking to splurge on a foodie this Christmas, Lane Crawford is offering a range of gourmet food items sourced from around the world that are perfect for gifting, and spoiling yourself with. Think premium olive oils, French pate with truffle, cheese, Italian panettone, vegan chocolate, tea, sake, Japanese confectionery, and more. Plus you can pick the items and create a custom gift with the hamper services at Lane Crawford, which are put together in a market bag by Apolis – an LA-based social enterprise that empowers hundreds of mothers in Bangladesh who receive Fair Trade-certified wages, annual profit dividends, and a retirement fund for handmaking these bags.

Price: Duck pate with truffle $189; Panettone $698; Apolis bag from $620
Where to buy: At Lane Crawford stores across Hong Kong

'Tis the season for indulging! But sometimes our health, and our bodies, need a break from all the decadence. This is, however, especially hard to do during the holidays – what with all the sweet treats going around. That's where LeanSweets come in. The Hong Kong sweet brand makes low sugar, low carb gummy sweets that are a lot healthier than the usual kind. So even if you treat your own kids, your little nieces and nephews, or the neighbours' children, no one will shout bloody murder at you this holiday. Nope, not this year. According to the brand, even registered dieticians approve of LeanSweets as they're made without sugar (they use stevia for sweetness instead of high fructose corn syrup) or artificial colouring and are gluten-free. They also contain natural prebiotic fibres which support digestive health – handy!

Price: $108 for 6 packs; free shipping available
Where to buy: Available at Furrytales by First Initiative Foundation and Lee Gardens (Dec 4-5; 11-12) or LeanSweets.com