Shared Tastes

With their pretty packaging and refined flavors, these gourmet pantry-stuffers make the perfect ingredients for a foodie’s dream goodie basket.

By Amy Traverso

: Photos by Vito Aluia.

Splurge
1. Cocoa: L. A. Burdick dark hot chocolate. $14 for 12 oz., L. A. Burdick Handmade Chocolates. 2. Sweets: Chocolate Springs assorted chocolates. $21.95 for nine pieces, Formaggio Kitchen. 3. Spice: “Mancha Superior” Spanish saffron threads. $59.95 for 1 oz., Salumeria Italiana. 4. Vinegar: 20-year-old La Vecchia Dispensa Condimento Balsamico from Modena, Italy. $53.95 for 100 ml., Formaggio Kitchen. 5. Oil: S. Tommaso organic white truffle oil. $29 for 8.5 fl. oz., Lionette’s Market. 6. Preserves: Hi-Rise apricot Melba preserves. $12 for 16 oz., Hi-Rise Bread Company. 7. Tea: Tea Forté jasmine green tea sampler. $21.99 for 20 infusers, Savenor’s.

Save
1. Cocoa: Taza Chocolate Mexicano. $4.95 for 2.7 oz., Formaggio Kitchen. 2. Sweets: La Tène fleur de sel caramels. $8.50 for about 10 caramels, Lionette’s Market. 3. Spice: El Rey de la Vera smoked Spanish paprika. $4.50 for 2.6 oz., Formaggio Kitchen. 4. Vinegar: La Guinelle “Tchin Tchin” aged Banyuls vinegar (like good balsamic, but half the price). $24.95 for 100 ml., Formaggio Kitchen. 5. Oil: Ariston Greek extra-virgin, cold-pressed olive oil. $9.95 for 16.9 oz., Pemberton Farms. 6. Preserves: Stonewall Kitchen mango-lime salsa. $6.49 for 16 oz., Pemberton Farms. 7. Tea: Two Leaves and a Bud organic orange sencha tea. $5.99 for 15 tea bags, Pemberton Farms.