Quick answer: Putting together a spice gift means bringing together several complementary products around a shared use, a savoury set of peppers and flavoured salt, or a sweet set built around vanilla, rather than a single sachet on its own. The choice of container, glass jar, refillable mill or sachet, rounds off the presentation of the set.
Giving spices calls for thinking about the whole rather than a single product: pairing several flavours that complement each other, chosen for a particular use, makes the gift more coherent than a single sachet picked at random.
Starting from a use rather than a product
A simple starting point is to choose a use, baking, slow-cooked savoury dishes, aperitifs, or discovery for someone who has never cooked with these spices, and then to bring together the products that match that use.
A sweet set, built around vanilla
For baking, a set bringing together vanilla in several forms, pods, powder or vanilla sugar, with a spice that pairs well with it in winter baking, cinnamon for instance, makes a coherent gift for someone who bakes regularly.
A savoury set, built around peppers
For savoury use, several peppers, black, white, wild or pink peppercorns, paired with a flavoured salt or an already composed blend, make it possible to offer several textures and several uses within the same set, from everyday cooking to a more special occasion.
Thinking about the container as much as the contents
The format matters to the presentation: a refillable glass jar, a mill, or a compact sachet to give alongside several others, each brings a different presentation. A refillable mill, for example, lets you give both the object and the spice that fills it, then refill it afterwards with a sachet.
For someone discovering these spices
For someone who does not yet know these spices, a discovery set, bringing together several flavours in small quantities rather than a single large format, gives them time to try them one by one before knowing which becomes a habit.
Including a note on how to use it
Adding a short note on how to use each spice, in savoury cooking, in baking, or as an infusion, helps the person receiving the gift use it straight away, without having to look up the information themselves.
Varying textures within the same set
A set that mixes a powder, a whole grain and an already composed blend offers different gestures, sprinkling, grinding in a mill or using directly, which makes the set more interesting to use than a collection of a single type of product.
Where our spices come from
Our family grows its peppers, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in Vangaindrano, in south-eastern Madagascar, and its vanilla in the SAVA region, in the north-east of the country.
Frequently asked questions
Should you give a single product or several spices together?
A set of several complementary products, chosen for the same use, generally makes a more coherent gift than a single sachet on its own.
Which set should you choose for someone who bakes regularly?
A set built around vanilla in several forms, paired with a spice that works well in winter baking such as cinnamon, suits someone who bakes on a regular basis.
Which format should you choose for a spice gift?
A refillable glass jar or a mill bring a different presentation from a compact sachet; the choice mainly depends on how the person receiving the gift intends to use it.
How do you put together a gift for someone discovering these spices?
A discovery set, bringing together several flavours in small quantities, gives them time to try them one by one before knowing which becomes a habit.
To go further, our products: Spice discovery pack, 3 peppers and vanilla · Curry, turmeric and ginger trio · Camargue salt flavoured with pepper and pink peppercorns · Vanilla baking discovery pack
To compare the whole of our spice range before putting together a gift, see our page on Madagascar spices.
The Vanille Désiré team
