Best gifts for the foodie on your gift giving list

Lemonade cake from Wright’s Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe in Dunwoody.

Lemonade cake from Wright’s Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe in Dunwoody.

For fussy foodies and haute hostesses on your holiday “get list,” shop for year-round eats and treats made in Atlanta and across Georgia. Many of these 10 edible finds are wrapped for easy giving. Season’s eatings!

1. Gourmet salts

Atlanta's Julie Feagin first made salts using fresh herbs to give as holiday gifts. After much encouragement, the Georgia Tech grad started her gourmet salt business. The mineral-rich seasoning salts are packaged in reusable corked test tubes and distinctive four-ounce glass jars. Black Italian Truffle with Fleur de Sel and Rosemary with a hint of Lavender French Grey are top sellers. So is the Margarita Himalayan Pink Salt with a zest of lime. Salts come in a variety of 4 oz. jars, test tubes and gift sets $7.50-$90. Order from their website or find their retail partner on the site. backtoorganic.com

2. Take the cake 

For any celebration, the cake to take is one from the Wright's Gourmet Sandwich Shoppe in Dunwoody. Tart and sweet, the lemonade cake ($22.95) has been a year-round best seller since the popular lunchtime spot opened many years ago. At the holidays, other top cake choices include: Rum ($26.99) and Alpine Chocolate or Coconut ($32.95). 5482 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody. www.wrightgourmetshoppe.com

3. Taste of Italy

Started by Italian-born Adriana Coppola, Alta Cucina makes small batches of hand-made tomato sauces, oils, balsamic vinegars and pestos in Suwanee. The company's year-round best sellers include balsamic vinegar reductions, such as crema balsamica, plus fig, cherry, orange, strawberry and white balsamics. Also popular are the slow-cooked, all-natural tomato sauces, including arrabiatta (gets it kick from pepperoncino or red hot pepper) and sugo alla norma (with eggplant). For pizza, try the marinara sauce. Look for fresh pestos ($12-$16 for 6.5 oz.), tomato sauces ($10 for 16 oz.) and balsamic vinegars ($15-$18 for 8.5-oz. bottle) at a few farmers markets and www.altacucinaitalia.com.

4. Cheese, please

At CalyRoad Creamery in Sandy Springs, Robin Schick and her team produce a variety of semi-ripened and fresh cheeses from local cows' milk and regional goat curd. Seasonal offerings include a rotating selection of delicious cheeses, Chocolate and Cheese truffles, and even a cheesemaking kit. 227 Hilderbrand Drive, Sandy Springs. www.calyroadcreamery.com

5. Pickle it

Drunken Tomatoes. Honey Kissed Turnips. Mean Green Tomatoes. Try these pickled products and others from Decatur-based Doux South. Founded by Atlanta farm-to-table chef Nick Melvin, the company uses produce from local organic farmers. Three packs are $27-$35. Order online or check out their extensive list of retailers. www.douxsouth.com

6. Bloody Mary magic

Whodini Sister's Bloody Mary Potion was not created by sisters but by long-time friends Cissy Benedict and Debbie McChesney of Atlanta. Bottled in Tiger, the all-natural, gluten-free seasoning will help you make a Bloody Mary with a crisp, clean taste ($16.49 for a 12-ounce bottle - makes 12 bloodies). In Atlanta, find the flavorful seasoning at Sloan HomeSavi Provisions, and H&F Bottle Shop. Many other locations can be found here: www.whodinisisters.com/where-to-find-us

7. Spread it on

For jams, preserves and condiments made the old-school way, head for the Preserving Place. Founded by Martha McMillan, this shop and teaching kitchen in Atlanta's West Provisions District, makes small-batch, artisanal food. Shoppers come here for nine-ounce jars of Hot Peach & Ginger Jam and Lemon Tomato Jam ($14), plus 12-ounce jars of Sweet Onion Confit ($15). Available at 1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite P10B, Atlanta. www.preservingplace.com

8. Seoul food

Hannah Chung's love of kimchi led her to start Simply Seoul. The Atlanta-based business makes all-natural, vegan kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish. While Simply Seoul offers seasonal varieties of kimchi, Napa Cabbage is No. 1. Find Simply Seoul at their new shop at Ponce City Market, a number of metro-Atlanta retailers or order two or three 16 oz. jars for $20 or $29 online. www.simplyseoulkitchen.com

9. Oil boom

There's a new gold rush. Producers across the United States, including Georgia, are now growing and pressing olives. At Lakeland-based Georgia Olive Farms, a co-op of growers, began experimenting with different varieties several years ago. It came up with Chef's Blend Extra Virgin Olive Oil ($32 for 500 ml bottle). A good everyday oil, it features a clean, mild taste. www.georgiaolivefarms.com

10. Read it & eat

Asha Gomez runs what she calls an "Indian Pattiserie," better known as Spice To Table in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward. Those two words tell us that she embraces different cultures with gusto. Now she has her own cookbook "My Two Souths" -- that'd be where we live and where she's from -- Southern India. As the AJC's reviewer wrote "If you have ever tasted her famous Kerala Fried Chicken and Low Country Rice Waffles with Spicy Syrup, you know of what I speak." $35. Available online and around town.