20 Best Italian Gifts for the Italy Food Lover in Your Life
Any Italy foodie loves Italian gifts — especially when it involves food! They’re perfect any time of year from Christmas to birthdays, even for no reason at all!
Do you have a friend who’s longing for their time in Italy? Italy is known for its delicious food and wine, and the culinary memories we make in Italy over food linger forever until we go back the next time. Until then, what’s a certified Italophile to do?
So when your friend or loved one can’t stop talking about the warm smell of Italian bread, the wine they tasted in Tuscany, the cheese tour they took, or the balsamic vinegar acetaia they visited in Modena — be a good friend and shower them with Italian gifts and delicious food gifts from Italy, made at the source.
Because nothing says ti amo like some of Italy’s food and food-related specialities.
These Italy gift ideas here will make gift giving easier and are the perfect way to celebrate a birthday, wedding, festive holiday, or maybe even just to celebrate life!
Italian food is love, and that’s exactly what’s in store for you.
Here are 20 ideal Italian food gifts that you can order online in time for the holidays, or maybe just your own personal self-care package until you’re back living la dolce vita!
She comes bearing Italian gifts!
Food Gifts From Italy
Olive Oil of the Month Subscription
No food is more emblematic of Italy than traditional extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). Depending on the type of olives pressed and region in which it was made, the taste can range from subtle and smooth to peppery with a kick.
But one thing is certain — a good olive oil enhances every dish with just a drizzle.
If you know an Italy foodie who loves a good bottle of EVOO in their Italian food basket, why not treat them to an ongoing subscription to an Olive Oil of the Month Club?
This Italian Olive Oil Club has 3 levels of subscriptions – 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months — and a selected olive oil is sent every month from a different region in Italy.
All the packages include a newsletter with the olive oil and producer details, and even a few recipes to savor with your family and friends.
Panettone for the Holidays
Panettone is the traditional Italian sweet bread that’s typically made on special occasions and holidays like Christmas or Easter. The bread is sweet and there are many variations, so you might find it baked with hazlenut, coffee, or even lemon swirled inside.
But the most traditional preparation is baked with candied citron inside — which always smells like holidays to me!
Many Italian bakeries do offer it year round however, and I must tell you, the fresher it is the better. But most importers who ship to countries outside Italy seal their panettone breads so well that you’d think it was fresh-baked just days ago.
This 2 lb loaf panettone made with raisins and dried candied orange peel is very good.
But hands down the best imported panettone we’ve ever had is this traditional Nocciole, a hazelnut panettone from the Fiasconaro company — Delicioso!!
Seasonal Gourmet Food & Gift Boxes from Tuscany
Our friends at Km Zero Tours started curating their signature gift boxes when the pandemic first hit and travel to Italy ground to a halt. And when we say they’re curated, we mean it.
These food gifts from Italy are seasonal, and the items are hand-selected to encompass the feel of Tuscany.
Even the gift boxes themselves are organically made from 100% recycled cardboard and the ingredients locally-sourced.
Each box is generously filled with delicious goodies and a few food-related gift items as well.
For instance, the hand-painted Tuscany spoon rest is oversized and reminds me of the time we spent with them slow traveling Italy every time I rest a spoon on it.
Our Spring box below had seasonal foods like marinated baby artichokes and an asparagus cream sauce for pasta that was so divine. There were also Easter goodies, like beautifully colored chocolate truffle eggs made with the most delicate candy coating.
There were two traditional Easter cakes — the dove-shaped Colomba cake and the Glassata Mandorla were both fresh and full of sweet flavor.
And those pretty flower stems you see there? They’re edible too — traditional holiday Jordon almonds from Italy.
If there’s a special Italy food lover in your life, this is one of the best food gifts to send by mail.
You can order your seasonal gift box online here. (Use the code #ItalyFoodies in the Notes of your online order and they’ll include an extra sauce as their personal gift!)
Gifts of Italy from Km Zero Tours
Pecorino Toscano Italian Cheese
It isn’t easy being cheesy, but that’s why we bring to you some Pecorino Toscano Italian cheese straight from Tuscany to create the ‘gratest’ gift for Italy lovers.
This sheep-milk Italian cheese wheel is mild, savory, and rich. It can be added to most any Italian dish or served as an antipasti! Pair it with a good Italian red wine for a Tuscany-inspired dinner at home.
But why stop with just the cheese? Put together a wheel of cheese, a fresh loaf of crusty Italian bread, and some good EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and make your own Italian food gift basket!
Italian Vinegar Gift Set
Perhaps the grandest of Italian food gifts from Emilia Romagna is an Italian Vinegar Gift Set by Giuseppe Giusti, which comes in a reusable wooden wine box that contains two types of vinegar: aged balsamic vinegar and white wine vinegar.
If you’ve been on a food tour in Modena or Bologna, you know how significant this local food product is in Emilia Romagna. If you haven’t, you should plan on it when you’re in this region — it’s a perfect thing to do for foodies!
The Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is a traditional DOP Italian food made from cooked grape must (the freshly crushed fruit juice that contains skins, seeds, and stems of the fruit). It is the condiment in Italy — used on everything from meats and salads to sauces and dipping bread.
The good stuff — DOP balsamico di Modena aged for 25 years — is so smooth and tasty, it’s even drizzled on chunks of bread, parmigiano reggiano cheese, and gelato!
The White Wine Vinegar with this set has a citrusy taste reminiscent of yellow fruits, and is made from Trebbiano grapes. Aged in French oak and ash wood barrels, use this as a condiment or to prepare a vinaigrette.
This set made is by Giuseppe Giusti, one of Modena’s premier and longest-running vinegar producers in the world. Truly one of the best gifts from Italy!
La Florentine Torrone
If you’re looking for food gifts from Italy that possess a certain Old World charm, the beautifully boxed La Florentine Torrones may well be the perfect gift for Italy lovers with a sweet tooth!
The pretty box with a Renaissance portrait on the front contains sweet, bite-sized pieces of white nougat candy, studded with roasted pistachios and almonds.
The nougat is gluten-free and made from almonds, cane sugar, honey and egg whites.
With three flavors to try: lemon, orange and vanilla that are all wrapped in edible ‘paper’ wafers, torrone nougats are the perfect gifts of Italy that your Italy-loving friend will be delighted to receive.
Modica Chocolate
Did you know they make Aztec-style chocolate… in Sicily? In fact, it’s one of Sicily’s most iconic foods!
For foodie purists who love traditional foods from Italy, this handmade classic from Modica, Sicily is the perfect gift for that friend with a penchant for good chocolate.
This dark chocolate chocolate bar follows the traditional “Modicana” recipe in the Aztec style using 50% cocoa with raw cane sugar, and is very popular in Italy.
So for that chocolate connoisseur who misses Italian flavors, click to buy this artisanal chocolate online.
Spezzatina Rossa Licorice
Is there anything more delightfully retro and yummy at Amarelli licorice? It’s definitely one of the more unique food gifts from Italy, and is imported from Rossana, Calabria.
The black pellets resemble pieces of obsidian, and have a distinctive flavor — dense, nutty, smoky and sweet. It is also believed to have many health benefits.
Order this curious licorice for a friend that adores Italian specialties.
Looking for More Gifts Ideas from Italy? Check out the Italy Foodies Shop for more inspiration!
Italian Gifts for Drinking
Dolceterra Limoncello
Welcome the feel of summer anytime with a bottle of Dolceterra limoncello, the lemony digestivo from Campania and the Amalfi Coast. This limited edition bottle is hand-painted and so pretty, you’ll want to keep it forever.
And you should. Just refill it again and again with your favorite limoncello, or make your own — homemade limoncello is so easy to make!
Full of fragrant tones, this liqueur makes an excellent food gift from Italy. These handcrafted and hand painted ceramics are made by Vietru artists in the Sorrento tradition, to ensure that each piece is truly unique. The charming gift box contains a reusable bottle, and as a bonus, two glasses to slowly sip the limoncello.
Cameo Ciobar Classico Hot Chocolate
A delightful present for your Italian friend, Cameo Ciobar Classico is a creamy hot chocolate staple of Italy. Found online only on Amazon, this drink makes a delectable gift for Christmas. Gift this to friends who are looking for some warm Italian cheer.
Kimbo Macinato Fresco
For the Italian foodie who misses Italian coffee drinks, this Kimbo espresso is just heaven sent!
The medium-dark roasted ground coffee is imported from Italy, and is highly rated on body, intensity, persistence in taste, richness and sweetness.
Italian Gifts for the Aspiring Chef
The Original Marcato Atlas 150 Pasta Machine
Pasta is synonymous with Italy, and what better gift for Italy lovers than the “Ferrari of the Pasta Machine World?”
This high-quality steel chrome product is fitted with aluminum rollers, and designed to make fettuccine, lasagne and tagliolini at home. Click here to buy online this manually-operated pasta machine for the friend who loves preparing authentic Italian pasta.
The Marcato Atlas Pasta Drying Rack
A friend that loves Italy and pasta is probably going to want to make some from scratch, and they’ll be so glad they have this on hand when it's drying time. Did you know that homemade pasta needs to dry before it’s stored or it can get moldy? You want to dry the pasta well for all those traditional Italian pasta dishes you’ll be making.
This is one of those food gifts from Italy that may not look so authentic but the pasta you’ll make will taste like it’s straight from Nonna’s kitchen.
Hand Painted Ceramic Cheese Bowl
Any gifts for the art enthusiast Italy-lovers, you ask? With a traditional Tuscan rooster painted on the side, and a certificate of authenticity that comes with it, this original ceramic cheese bowl makes for an easy choice!
Combo Gnocchi Stripper and Garganelli Pasta Board
Making fresh pasta is a lot more work than opening a box of dry noodles, but there’s nothing like the taste of fresh pasta, especially when the added ridges hold more sauce. And a foodie doesn’t mind the work when the reward is so delicious!
These pasta boards are everywhere in Italy — at least one in every kitchen — and we love gifting them to our foodie friends who love Italian food. They’re the perfect Goldilocks size for a gift and it’s always nice to give a rustic, wooden gift like this.
Fante’s Cousin Giulio’s Self-Pull Corkscrew
This Italian made screw-pull wine opener comes to you from Europe’s finest wine corkscrew makers, Ghidini. The cast-metal helical spiral has an elegant finish that combines sophistication and function.
Not only does it require barely any effort to use, but is also comfortable and easy to clean! This self-pull corkscrew is an integral part of a wine enthusiast’s drawer.
Mezzaluna Chopping Knife
Mezzaluna means ‘half moon’ in Italian, and refers to the curved blade of this knife. Commonly used for chopping and mincing, this knife is used by rocking it back and forth over ingredients.
This knife comes from Coltelleria Saladini’s workshop in Scarperia, a workshop famed for knife and cutlery production. Their trademark crescent ‘rooster’ Mezzaluna knife makes a quirky gift for Italy lovers.
Pizza Cutter
Can anything capture a bigger ‘pizza’ of your heart than the Eppicotispai Pizza Cutter? Made from stainless steel, with an ergonomic handle of beechwood, this is a terrific gift for your practical friend.
Effortlessly slices through pizzas and Italian-style flat breads like foccacia without messing up the toppings.
Bialetti Moka Express
Alfonso Bialetti brought the espresso to Italian homes with his Moka Express, and completely changed the course of coffee history with its indestructible aluminum design. Now espresso making is a daily ritual in Italy.
With the patented safety valve and anti-scald handle, the octagonal Moka pot is used to make espressos over the stove in less than five minutes.
Send a whole latte love to the Italian coffee aficionado in your life.
Citrus Squeezer By Alessi
This Italian Alessi Juicy Salif citrus squeezer by Philippe Starck is a humorous combination of aesthetics and function. Its iconic design makes a great display piece to start conversations. Buy this innovative gift for your friend who just loves shiny things!
We hope these gift ideas from Italy will inspire your gift giving for the Italy Foodie in your life!