Spicewalla holiday vibes, 2025.
Spicewalla
I’m a born and bred North Carolinian (Team Duke all the way!) and even after years of exploring Italy’s iconic coastlines and falling head over heels for Italian food culture—and an Italian man—nothing quite compares to the flavors of home. North Carolina honors tradition while constantly innovating, its farmers and makers pouring energy and soul into everything they produce, creating a sheer diversity of delicious things from the mountains to the coast. From the Appalachian peaks where sourwood trees bloom for just a few precious weeks each summer, to the Crystal Coast where Russian sturgeon now thrive in sustainable aquaculture systems, the state is producing world-class food and drink that rivals anything I’ve encountered in my travels.
What makes me proudest is how North Carolina producers are putting the state on the global map—not by imitating European traditions, but by celebrating their own heritage and terroir while pushing boundaries. The state is making caviar that competes with the Caspian Sea’s finest, curing country ham that stands alongside prosciutto di Parma, and crafting ciders, gins, and chocolates that earn international awards. These aren’t just local treasures anymore; they’re destination-worthy products you’ll gift and brag to your foodie friends about—and they happen to come from the place I’ll always call home, even if I’m permanently living in Italy now.
So whether you’re a fellow North Carolinian looking to share a taste of the state, or you’re searching for gifts that capture that elusive “la dolce vita” spirit right here in America, this guide celebrates the makers, farmers, and artisans who are keeping North Carolina’s food traditions alive while writing delicious new chapters.
Here are some of my home state’s best food and beverage gifts to give this holiday season, or really anytime:
Marshallberg Farm caviar.
Marshallberg FarmMarshallberg Farm Osetra Caviar
This family-operated farm is the only recirculating aquaculture system Osetra sturgeon farm in the United States, producing caviar that’s earned a “Best Choice” sustainability rating from the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch. Located in Smyrna along the Crystal Coast, the farm takes a nearly 10-year process from egg to harvesting caviar, resulting in firm, glossy eggs bursting with buttery and nutty flavors that rival any international producer. Shop at Marshallberg Farm.
Botanist & Barrel Painted Pear cider.
Stacey Sprenz PhotographyBotanist & Barrel Cider
The South’s only natural cidery and first producer of Pétillant Natural ciders in the Southeastern United States, this Cedar Grove cidery crafts real Southern ciders using traditional heirloom cider apples including Golden Russet, Pomme Gris, Ashmead’s Kernel, and Harrison varieties from local organic farms. Their ciders are wild fermented, unfiltered, and unpasteurized, capturing the terroir of North Carolina’s apple-growing regions in every bottle. Shop at Botanist & Barrel.
Videri Chocolate coffee crunch bar.
Videri Chocolate FactoryVideri Chocolate Factory
This Raleigh bean-to-bar chocolate maker has become an essential North Carolina artisan brand with their small-batch approach that transforms cacao into beautifully packaged bars—it’s like our very own real-life Willy Wonka factory, but all good stuff here. I’m personally obsessed with the Coffee Crunch Bar: 70% dark chocolate blanketed with caramelized sugar and coarsely crushed coffee from Raleigh’s beloved Black & White Coffee roasters, creating the perfect marriage of local ingredients. Shop at Videri Chocolate Factory.
Spicewalla 18-pack Kitchen Essentials Collection.
Spicewalla Spicewalla Spice Set
Founded by Meherwan Irani, whose flagship restaurant Chai Pani was named Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation in 2022 (and earned a Michelin Guide recommendation in Atlanta), this Asheville spice company brings restaurant-quality seasonings to home kitchens. The 18-tin Kitchen Essentials starter pack is my favorite North Carolina housewarming gift; it’s perfect for home chefs or seasoned cooks needing a refresh of their spice rack with vibrant, potent flavors. Shop at Spicewalla.
Tonya’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake.
Tonya’s CookiesTonya Council’s Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Made with cream cheese and infused with a hint of lemon, this pound cake is irresistible and earned its spot on Oprah’s Favorite Things 2024 list, making it the second time Chapel Hill baker Tonya Council, owner of Tonya’s Cookies, has received the coveted honor (her Pecan Crisp Cookies made the list in 2021). The cake is a fresh take on her grandmother Mildred Council’s (“Mama Dip”) classic recipe, blending tradition with indulgence in every buttery slice. Order at Tonya’s Cookies.
Union Special’s triple Chocolate panettone for holiday season 2025.
Juli LeonardA Panettone From Union Special Bread
One of my favorite bakers, Andrew Ullom, owner of Union Special in Raleigh, is producing three panettone flavors this year, but it’s his pecan and sweet potato version—featuring ingredients from the Raleigh farmers market combined with Muddy Pond Sorghum from Tennessee—that best captures the South. The naturally leavened bread requires a specific starter that must be fed every four to five hours and kept at exactly 82 degrees, making it one of the most labor-intensive (and rewarding) Italian holiday treats (Ullom is one of the only bakers I know slingin’ a perfect panettone in the state!). Shop at Union Special Bread.
Mrs. Hanes’ Ginger Moravian Cookies.
Mrs. Hanes’ Moravian CookiesMrs. Hanes’ Moravian Cookies
The Moravian spice cookie is a descendant of German Lebkuchen brought to central North Carolina by Moravians who immigrated in 1753, and these paper-thin treats have become an iconic state tradition. Mrs. Hanes’ Moravian Cookies, a beloved Winston-Salem bakery, has perfected the delicate art of rolling these cookies impossibly thin—each one crisp, spiced, and packed in festive tubes that make a fun (and easy to pack/ship) gift for all. Go for ginger, lemon, or black walnut and know these cookies are a nostalgic taste of North Carolina’s heritage. Order at Mrs. Hanes’ Moravian Cookies
Artie Bars.
Stacey Sprenz PhotographyArtie Bars
If you’ve had one, you know—if you haven’t, you should order immediately. My mom is wildly addicted after just one bite, and these Raleigh-made millionaire shortbread bars are nearly half a pound of decadent, three-layered bliss with homemade shortbread, hand-crafted caramel, and scratch-made chocolate ganache. Founded by Artie Januario after a tech layoff, these bars became a viral sensation when The Wall Street Journal featured them, selling out a year’s worth in just three days—and they deliver on flavor in a way that keeps people coming back for more. Shop at Artie Bars.
Sam Jones Sauces & Spices gift set.
Sam Jones BBQSam Jones BBQ Sauce
For an authentic taste of Eastern North Carolina barbecue, this sauce captures the vinegar-based tradition that defines the region’s legendary pit-cooked pork. The sauces and spices set is the full experience: Sam Jones’ classic Rub Potion No. Swine BBQ rub, Fish Out of Water Rub for seafood, For Goodness Steak Rub for beef and brisket, Salt of the Earth all-purpose seasoning salt, plus two signature sauces. Shop at Sam Jones BBQ.
Little Waves Coffee Roasters Ternura blend.
Little Waves Coffee RoastersLittle Waves Coffee Roasters
Leon Grodski de Barrera and Areli Barrera de Grodski’s Latina-led, women-forward coffee company operates three Cocoa Cinnamon coffee shops in Durham plus their own Little Waves Coffee Roasters roastery, which consistently wins accolades and awards. I’m particularly obsessed with their Ternura blend, where notes of strawberry jam, waffle cone, and chocolate cake create a syrupy, nostalgic cup that’s perfect for espresso with or without milk. Their coffee subscriptions make for a perfect gift for coffee drinkers. Order at Little Waves Coffee Roasters
Lusty Monk Mustard gift pack.
Lusty Monk MustardLusty Monk Mustard
If you’re gifting this, don’t forget to buy one for yourself. In the South, there is no other mustard for me. This North Carolina condiment brings bold flavor and just the right amount of heat to elevate everything from sandwiches to charcuterie boards. The gift pack is absolutely worth it: you get all three flavors: Original Sin, Burn in Hell Chipotle, and Temptation Honey Mustard—plus a ‘Spread the Lust’ bumper sticker and two mini-bags of pretzels so you can dig right in. Available at Lusty Monk.
Cloister Honey Traditional Sourwood Honey.
Cloister HoneyCloister Honey Sourwood Honey
This Charlotte-based honey producer’s sourwood varietal has earned recognition as one of the best honeys in the world, made from bees on their own land in the mountains of North Carolina. Sourwood honey is so rare that a good crop sometimes only surfaces once every decade, and the sourwood tree blooms for just a few weeks each summer. It’s light, velvety, and warm with buttery caramel notes and this seasonal honey definitely captures the essence of the Appalachian Mountains in every spoonful. Shop at Cloister Honey.
Lady Edison Country Ham
Lady EdisonLady Edison Country Ham
This North Carolina country ham is dry-cured and aged for 18 months (that’s longer than Prosciutto di Parma’s required 12-month minimum!) creating the South’s answer to Italy’s finest cured meats. Made from a heritage cross of Berkshire, Chester White, and Duroc hogs raised by Animal Welfare Approved farmers, each leg is cured in salt and sugar and aged in a traditional North Carolina ham house, resulting in an intensely flavorful, extremely marbled ham with a funkiness (in the best James Brown sense) that rivals any European charcuterie. Shop at Lady Edison.
East Fork Pottery Maraschino collection.
East Fork PotteryEast Fork Pottery
Founded by Alex Matisse, the great-grandson of Henri Matisse, this Asheville pottery company recently launched The Matisse Collection featuring authentic reproductions of the French artist’s most iconic works on their signature dinnerware. The brand has evolved from artisanal roots into a cult-favorite direct-to-consumer company with retail outposts in Asheville, Atlanta, and Brooklyn, becoming as much a fashion and lifestyle brand as a pottery maker. Shop at East Fork.
Durham Distillery Conniption Navy Strength Gin.
Forrest Mason MediaDurham Distillery Navy Strength Gin
Founded by Melissa Katrincic, the first female U.S. distiller inducted into the prestigious Gin Guild in London, Durham Distillery’s Conniption Navy Strength Gin has won Best Navy Strength Gin in the U.S. for seven consecutive years at the World Gin Awards. The distillery is opening Conniption Cocktails & Cuisine at RDU Airport in 2025, a destination cocktail bar with the ambitious goal of serving the best airport martini, full stop—and if anyone can deliver on that promise, it’s Katrincic’s award-winning gin. At a bold 57% ABV, this seven-time champion is layered with spice-forward botanicals and cold vacuum-distilled fig, bringing intensity with elegance. Available at Durham Distillery.
Markola Coffee Syrup.
Markola Markola Coffee Syrup
Mark Daumen, manager of The Durham Hotel’s coffee program and one of North Carolina’s best baristas, created Markola—a coffee syrup that’s best described as what happens when cold brew and vanilla cream soda have a baby. His famous coffee soda at The Durham Hotel became so beloved that it was featured in Vogue, and now for the holidays, he’s making the magic coffee elixir available for purchase online so you can create that refreshing, complex coffee soda experience at home (see recipe here). Made from cold-brew coffee, real vanilla, and sugar with a bright pop of lemon, it’s the kind of thing you’ll sip and never forget (yes, there’s a fan club and yes I’m one of the biggest fans). Available at Drink Markola.
La Farm Bakery’s white chocolate mini baguettes.
La Farm Bakery La Farm Bakery’s White Chocolate Mini Baguette
Years ago someone handed me one of these and I said, “Noooo, I am not a fan of white chocolate,”—but I bowed to peer pressure and immediately ordered another. Founded by French master baker Lionel Vatinet in 1999, La Farm Bakery has become a North Carolina institution, and these mini baguettes filled with white chocolate are as delicious as it gets. Now I can’t walk past their RDU airport outpost without getting one, whether coming or going, and the best part is you can ship them anywhere. Order at La Farm Bakery.
Dining and Cooking