This text is part of the special Pleasures notebook
Consume less, but better. If this guideline is slowly but surely gaining more and more followers, every reason is good to also apply it when the time comes to spoil our loved ones. Here are five 100% local gourmet ideas to give as gifts that are sure to please.
1. A hot challenge gift
The popularity of hot sauces continues. It is estimated that in 2028, the sale of these sauces is expected to represent $5.56 billion worldwide. Quebec sauce producers are not left out. Their number is said to have increased more than tenfold over the past eight years. La Pimenterie, founded in 2016, offers around forty pepper-based products — hot sauces, barbecue sauces and salsas. Its “challenge” box allows you to discover 10 products while offering a gourmet game: ten bottles of sauces to taste, by tasting an animal or vegetable protein coated in spicy sauce, which becomes increasingly hot… Nine bottles of the lot are classics from La Pimenterie (Chêne Réaction, Cari Vert/Curry Verde, Calypso, Fogo, Royal Bourbon, Bollywood, Vertigo XF, Newton an extra strong sauce to end the challenge strong! The box of 10 bottles of 148 ml each is sold for $105.
2. Treats
When it comes to local creations to savor, the boutique Les Minettes, selling delicacies, which is located in Vieux-Sainte-Rose, on Montreal’s North Shore, is a must. In addition to offering numerous products from around sixty local artisans — both for drinking and eating — she sells her own gourmet creations. Apricot, hazelnut and rosemary crackers, tarragon vinaigrette, wild blueberries and summer honey, onion confit, roasted blackcurrant nuts, cumin and ginger: there is something to sweeten or savor your taste buds and create a pretty gift basket, 100% local, 100% tempting. Everything is also available in their online store.
3. Return to our (boreal) roots
It’s time to stock the pantry of the family’s cooks with local ingredients, such as white sweet clover, to finally test this local substitute for vanilla which we see more and more often being introduced into the recipes. We have fun creating a personalized gift by selecting a few products from Racines boréales, this online delicatessen of Nordic and local foods which offers fruits, vegetables, spices and nuts that grow in our northern regions and which are often still little known . You can also opt for a gift box. We fell in love with the Nordic Initiation box, which includes the Cuisiner le Nord poster — also sold separately — created by food illustrator Laucolo, which highlights nine local plants and ways to use them in cooking. Each of the plants illustrated accompanies the poster in the box: in addition to sweet clover, we find comptonia traveler (a slightly sweet plant with aromas of thyme and eucalyptus), balsam sweetmeat (known as boreal nutmeg ), pine nard (reminiscent of Christmas spices), wild rose petals (for a floral and honeyed note), dune pepper (with a peppery, resinous, minty and fruity taste at the same time), staghorn sumac (for a touch of acidity to grills, salads and dips), Labrador tea, which we are increasingly familiar with, and finally balsam fir needles (with a forest taste). All for $115, packaged simply and beautifully, always with an eye toward minimizing waste. Recipes and tips for using these products are also available and free on the Racines boréales website.
4. Get an eyeful
We talked about the food illustrator Laucolo a little above. A detour to its website also reserves some nice surprises and gift ideas, like its 2024 fruit and vegetable calendar, which fits perfectly under the tree. There are also other calendars, illustrations, notebooks and greeting cards.
In a similar vein, there is also Caribou which offers just in time for the holiday season a book of games on the theme of Quebec culinary culture, like the guideline of the team behind the magazine. Ten games to test your knowledge of the agri-food world, from a quiz to coloring or hidden words. Designed for adults, these games can also be shared with family around the table, like a good meal!
5. A very local dinner
A gift card or an invitation to a restaurant is always a safe bet. We take the opportunity to opt for a table that highlights local products. The restaurant Le Géraldine, in old Saint-Eustache, has just won the Prize restaurateur Aliments du Québec On the menu. This prize rewards an establishment which favors local sourcing and the development of the terroir. This year, all nominated restaurants sourced an average of 90% local food. The winning chef-owner, Olivier Robillard, stood out among the 15 competing restaurants with his seasonal hyperlocal cuisine and the products he grows himself in his garden, at Domaine Lafrance, in Saint-Joseph-du- Lake, where he created a culinary laboratory dedicated to local products. So we sit down at Géraldine to savor the Laurentians at their best, but also to enjoy the unique and warm decor of the historic Plessis-Bélair residence, built in 1880, in which the chef installed his brand six years ago. Two options are possible in this “Bring your own wine”: a seasonal à la carte menu or a five-course tasting menu of the chef’s choice. Gift certificates are available. The Microbrasserie Le Presbytère, in Saint-Stanislas-de-Champlain, in Mauricie, as well as Le Hatley du Manoir Hovey, in North Hatley, in Estrie, were the two other grand finalists of this sixth edition of these awards. Two other very good places to spoil those you love!
This content was produced by the Special Publications team at Duty, relating to marketing. The writing of the Duty did not take part.