Discover culinary delights from African and Black-owned businesses with our AfroEats foodie gift guide! Elevate your holiday gifting with our curated selection of kitchen essentials and gourmet treats, from tantalizing cookbooks and pantry staples to must-have chef tools and stocking stuffer surprises.
This guide celebrates the rich heritage and innovative spirit of African and Black-owned brands, while ensuring that you’re set for your upcoming office white elephant or family reunion.
When you purchase a cookbook through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission that goes towards our research & projects.
🌶️ Essiespice's Signature Sauce Collection
For the person who… can’t have enough chicken wing sauces
Meet the small-batch sauce business that uses traditional West African spices with influences from Asia to create the ultimate dips, drips, and dry rubs for your next dinnertime feast.
Essiespice has created the ultimate quartet for your culinary arsenal, bringing flavors like tamarind, roasted garlic, and Jamaican Scotch Bonnet peppers to your popcorn, chicken wings, tofu stir fry, and more. With a focus on organic and low-sodium ingredients, these sauces don’t just taste good, but they do good too.
🥄 Reflektion Design's African Olive Wood Salad Server Set with Batik Handles
For the person who… loves to host a dinner party
These upcycled salad spoons from Reflektion Design utilize their philosophy that your home is the ultimate canvas for self-expression. Batik is a centuries-old art form that is used in all corners of the African continent, and involves applying melted wax to materials before dyeing them to create patterns and designs. The wax is then removed, leaving behind a pattern that is untouched by the dye.
With their curated collection of authentic and artisan-made African decor, from drink coasters to kitchen utensils and tableware, there isn’t a corner of your kitchen that can’t get a makeover with pieces by Reflektion Design's artisans from Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda.
🇯🇲 Riaz Phillips' cookbook West Winds: Recipes, History and Tales From Jamaica
For the person who… needs some more sunshine on their plate
West Winds is the prequel to Riaz Philips' 2023 cookbook, East Winds, and aims to demystify new and unknown ingredients for home cooks from around the globe.
West Winds blazes the trail for Jamaican food to shine within any cookbook collection. It's a culinary cornucopia brimming with recipes to satisfy every palate and dietary preference, from vegan recipes to street food and Philips’ home-cooked favorites, bringing sunshine-filled food onto the table all year round.
🫙 Kitchens of Africa's East Meets West: Four-Sauce Variety Giftbox
For the person who… loves trying all the diverse flavors you can find across Africa
Embark on a flavor-filled journey with this quartet of artfully selected classic regional sauces, crafted to tantalize your taste buds and transport you to the far reaches of the African continent.
From the curries in Zanzibar to the chutneys of Somalia, then over to West Africa where the peanut-infused stew called Domoda, also known as Maffé, reigns supreme, and finally ending in Senegal with its traditional Yassa Sauce, let each jar delight your inner epicurean and seriously upgrade your next meal.
🥘 xN Studio's Acacia Wood and Horn Trivet
For the person who… seeks out unique and handmade crafts for their kitchen
xN Studio has teamed up with expert woodcarvers in Uganda to make this sustainably harvested acacia wood and cow horn trivet, adding both beauty and function to your dining room table.
Perfect for the host or hostess in your life who can’t get enough unique and handmade centerpieces for their kitchen – and crafted from repurposed furniture fragments – its striking design will transform their kitchen into a gallery, even when hidden beneath a pot.
🍚 Pierre Thiam's cookbook Simply West African: Easy, Joyful Recipes for Every Kitchen
For the person who… loves trying new foods and flavors
Delve into the vibrant flavors of West Africa with chef Pierre Thiam's Simply West African cookbook. Featuring 80 show-stopping recipes that blend traditional and modern dishes from across the western side of Africa, this culinary journey is made even more accessible through Thiam's brand called Yolélé, which supplies authentic spice rubs and convenience meals.
Recreate the bold and savory delights showcased in Thiam's latest culinary masterpiece and immerse yourself in the intersection of tradition and innovation, bringing the rich tastes of West Africa to your table.
🍷 Estelle Colored Glass' Wine Stemware - Set of 6
For the person who… ends the week with a glass of wine
Created in memory of the founder's grandmother, Estelle, who loved antiquing and had a special day of the week for perusing her favorite shops looking for vintage glassware and kitchenware, Estelle Colored Glass is a luxury brand of hand-blown colored glass cake stands and stemware in a mix of jewel tones and soft pastels.
Best described as "jewels for your table," this set of 6 assorted color wine glasses is made from hand-blown colored glass, crafted by glass artisans in Poland and shipped around the globe. They also come in pastel and fall colorways, with endless mix-and-match options to choose from.
🔥 Gloria's Shito's "The Curious" Vegan Hot Sauce
For the person who… is absolutely spice-obsessed
Made with no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives, this little but mighty jar brings the flavors of Ghana into your home kitchen and is a fiery and crunchy vegan chili sauce like no other.
Called shito, which translates to pepper, spicy, or hot in the Ga language, this umami-rich oil is a gateway to Ghana through food, and can go on anything from ramen, fries, and mac ‘n cheese to your morning eggs. In fact, there isn’t much this hot sauce can’t go on.
🍳 Karibe's 2-pack Cast Iron Set
For the person who… loves a date-night dinner at home
Getting the perfect sear on your date-night steak just got a whole lot easier! Karibe's cast iron pans are durable and great for frying, searing, and baking with style and grace, while supporting a Black-owned small business.
If you’re in a bit of a cooking block, then check out The Kulture, Karibe's food blog that is home to a vast selection of inspiring recipes from Africa and its diaspora and utilizes your new kitchen equipment.
🍯 Ivyees' “The ThreeSome” Raw Honey Trio
For the person who… has the ultimate sweet tooth
Having a sweet tooth doesn’t have to be bad for you! Black-owned by Ivy Lawson, Ivyees is a small business focused on bringing the incredible flavor and health benefits of Jamaican honey to the USA.
Jamaican honey can be considered one of the best varieties in the world because of its mineral-rich soil and abundance of flora, resulting in honey high in antioxidants and flavor. This small but mighty gift set includes three diverse flavor profiles, and the raw honey can be used from marinades to overnight oats, or just eating straight from the jar!
🧂 54kibo's Dance Hall Unique Salt Pepper Shaker Set
For the person who… loves collecting fun and unique items with function
With a focus on bringing contemporary African design trends to a global audience, 54kibo is the hub for luxury African decor for your whole home.
We can’t get enough of this salt and pepper shaker set, which is handmade in Jamaica and is inspired by the Dance Hall music and culture of the Caribbean. It even features hand-painted 18k gold accents, bringing a pop of color and elegance to the dinner table.
📚 Bryant Terry's cookbook Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora
For the person who… is a walking encyclopedia
Indulge in a captivating exploration of culinary traditions and narratives spanning the African diaspora – the African-descended populations that are now scattered across regions outside of the African continent – by acclaimed chef and author Bryant Terry.
Terry weaves together personal stories, art, and flavorful recipes that celebrate the diverse and interconnected heritage of Black food, and through this engaging lens, the book illuminates the resilience, creativity, and rich cultural flavors embedded in the global Black culinary experience.
🍹 Boukman Rhum's Botanical Rhum
For the person who… loves hosting cocktail nights
Named after Dutty Boukman, who was the Haitian revolution's rebel leader who ultimately led them to defeat Napoleon's armies, Boukman Rhum is 100% distilled and bottled in Haiti by two local family-owned companies. Today, Haiti's greatest struggle is for economic independence, so every bottle of Boukman Rhum purchased goes towards developing employment and education in local sugar cane communities.
Boukman Rhum is dry, complex, and plays well with other alcohols and mixers, making it an excellent spirit for cocktails, or simply enjoying on the rocks.
♨️ The Spice Suite's Mini SpiceBox
For the person who… needs a bit more spice in their life
With 4 different spice blends to choose from – and plenty of ways to use them – we can’t think of a better stocking stuffer to spice up your proteins, salads, and sides.
All hand-blended in small batches, each spice blend packs a punch and imparts rich and deep flavors into anything it touches. Think: Spicy Maple Barbecue-crusted vegan tofu bites, or Smoky Sweet Thang spiced chicken wings!
🌿 OfieDecorGoods' Asanka Handmade Clay/Earthenware Bowl
For the person who… needs everything in their kitchen to be beautiful AND functional
OfieDecorGoods is an Etsy importer of handcrafted home decor items made in Ghana, and their handmade clay Asanka is just as beautiful as it is functional. Traditionally used to grind ingredients like vegetables, herbs, and spices along with the wooden Tapoli grinder, each bowl is made by hand and has perfectly imperfect variations.
They also sell handwoven bags and homeware, so keep an eye out for their new listings!
🥣 Benjamina Ebuehi's cookbook A Good Day to Bake: Simple Baking Recipes for Every Mood
For the person who… loves baking at the weekends
Authored by Benjamina Ebuehi, a standout from The Great British Baking Show 2016, this collection of 70 sweet and savory recipes promises to elevate your baking journey. Whether you're a seasoned baker or a novice in the kitchen, this is the perfect gift for those seeking the therapeutic comforts of the kitchen.
The book's charm lies in its celebration of the ritual, from measuring ingredients to the tantalizing aroma of a freshly baked cake. "A Good Day to Bake" beckons you to experience the magic of natural, seasonal, and down-to-earth baking.
🍫 Askanya Chocolate's In Love With Mini Chocolates
For the person who… is the chocaholic of the friendship group
Take a tour of the stunning island of Haiti with the country's first bean-to-bar chocolate company, Askanya Chocolate, and their mini chocolate bar bundle.
As the perfect stocking stuffer, this selection of their signature flavors ranges from the smooth 47% cacao milk chocolate to their delicious 90% cacao dark chocolate bar, and features 12 bars in total for a conclusive and indulgent experience of Haitian cocoa.
☕ NesrineDesign's Sejnane Pottery Large Natural Clay Mug
For the person who… can’t live without their morning coffee
Upgrade your morning cup of joe with this handmade clay mug, handmade in Tunisia using a UNESCO-registered craft called Sejnane pottery.
NesrineDesign is an Etsy importer that honors and amplifies Tunisian design heritage, bringing rustic and traditional pottery to a global market. All handcrafted from locally sourced clay, you’ll find anything from naturally shaped flower vases to assorted bowls, plates, and serveware that hold centuries of history, tradition, and beauty.
🏝 Althea Brown's cookbook Caribbean Paleo: 75 Wholesome Dishes Celebrating Tropical Cuisine and Culture
For the person who… always has the “new year, new me” attitude
Name a better way to start 2024 than with a feel-good cookbook that brings accessible and traditionally modern Caribbean and Guyanese dishes into your home kitchen, authored by the certified Whole30 coach, Althea Brown.
Spotlighting dishes from her childhood in Guyana alongside her favorites from Jamaica, Trinidad, and across the Caribbean – all free from gluten, dairy, and refined sugar, of course – these healthy and traditional tropical dishes never compromise in flavor.
🇲🇦 CasablancaMarketShop's Baraka Cooking Tagine
For the person who… always has a dining table centerpiece when they host
CasablancaMarketShop is an Etsy importer on a mission to celebrate the owner Katia's Moroccan heritage and connect hundreds of dedicated artisans and craftspeople to a worldwide marketplace through their beautiful and practical handmade goods.
While a Moroccan tagine is a centerpiece in itself, these functional cooking vessels are also very durable, allowing its use on the stovetop at low heat, in the oven (up to 350°F), and on any outdoor grill.
🧇 Goldbelly's Marcus' Hot Honey Chicken & Cornbread Waffles Kit For 4
For the person who… is the hardcore foodie in your life
What's better than going to a famous restaurant? Bringing that famous restaurant into your home! Goldbelly is a marketplace for gourmet food, spotlighting America's most legendary and iconic restaurants and shipping their best dishes straight to your door.
Whether you want to gift your partner a sheet of the famous Sweet Potato Thang from Nikki J's Cakes, the new and modern twist on the sweet potato pie, or are dreaming of giving your parents-in-law a meal kit for Marcus Samuelsson's famous Hot Honey Chicken & Cornbread Waffles, there's something for everyone on Goldbelly.
🥃 Uncle Nearest's 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey and 1884 Small Batch Whiskey set
For the person who… always orders an Old Fashioned at the bar
Deemed one of the best whiskey makers the world never knew, the brand is named after the formerly enslaved man, Nathan "Nearest" Green, who taught a young Jack Daniel the craft of distilling.
Distilled, aged, and bottled in middle Tennessee, this duo of premium and small-batch whiskeys is the perfect treat for any whiskey drinker in your life, all while honoring the first known African-American master distiller.
🍽️ Expedition Subsahara's Mangey Placemats: Set of Two
For the person who… can’t have dinner without a dressed table
Expedition Subsahara was founded by Senegalese-American Sofi Seck with the aim of bringing colorful African decor to the American market while providing income for African women.
Their stunning collection of locally harvested elephant grass coil-woven decor ranges from baskets to placemats and coasters, bringing rustic and colorful patterns into your home and onto your dinner table.
We are Jikoni Recipe Archive, a non-profit with a mission to treasure the flavors of Africa and its diaspora.
If there's a brand or gift idea that you would love to see in a future list, let us know at hello@jikoniarchive.org and don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter for more AfroEats recommendations!
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