From my home to yours

Going home for the holidays? Share a taste of where you now call home by bringing back some of your favorite local delicacies for the family

HOLIDAY | Jessica Royer Ocken, CTW Features

Not only are the holidays a time to gather and catch up with family, they’re an opportunity to share the very best food and drink available. Mom’s not getting out the fancy dishes for nothing, so this season, as you travel to be with your loved ones, why not bring something exceptionally delicious – and something that says you – to grace the holiday table?

“There’s no better gift than something unique,” says John-Mark Hack, executive director of the Local Food Association, a national trade organization based in Versailles, Kentucky. “When you buy something that’s produced in a certain area, crafted by people who live there, its uniqueness has a special value.”

In some cases, selecting just the right item may be pretty easy – simply think about what you love to eat or drink in the place you call home.

Think cheese curds or brats from Wisconsin. Maple syrup from the Northeast. Wine from California or Oregon. Preserves and candy made from amazing Michigan cherries. Or a fantastically frozen gourmet pizza, done Chicago-style or New York-style or in the style of wherever you currently hail from.

“In Vermont we have the advantage of being a place people associate with Christmas anyway,” says Helen Fuqua, manager of Apple Mountain, a specialty store in Burlington, Vermont. “It looks like a Christmas card around here!” Fuqua says starting shortly before Thanksgiving and continuing through the holiday season, jams and jellies, locally made condiments, and of course everything maple – from syrup to hot sauce to popcorn and even maple cotton candy – flies off the shelves and home for the holidays with local residents and college students.

No matter where you live, your local community is likely home to farmers, bakers, confectioners and distillers who draw from the ingredients that grow best in your area, as well as the area’s cultural heritage, to create unique and flavorful specialty goods.

For example, according to the Brewers Association, an industry group, the majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a local brewery. Translation: It should not be too hard to find a tasty brew – especially one unavailable in your hometown – to bring to your family gathering. Fuqua says at least one of Apple Mountain’s employees stocks up on Heady Topper, an India Pale Ale brewed in nearby Waterbury, before going home to see his family. “You can’t find it anywhere, so it adds to the personal connection,” she says. “And there’s accountability and quality because when you produce and sell something locally, you’re often making it for your neighbors.”

So who doesn’t want to be the person who brought home the coolest, most delicious holiday treat of all? “It’s a great way to create longtime memories,” says the LFA’s Hack. However, if you’re flying, the TSA may object to a carry-on full of beers or other delicious liquids, so consider shipping them ahead.

If you still need inspiration, seek out a local producer of jams, jellies and preserves, suggests Hack. These are in abundance around holiday time and are bursting with flavors born in your region. (Southwest green chili jelly, anyone? Pickled okra?) Local cheese producers also are present in most communities, so wow your family with a swanky cheese plate featuring cow, goat and even sheep’s milk cheeses from your neck of the woods.

And, of course, the other benefit to buying locally produced delicacies for the holidays is the support it offers the community you call home, notes Hack. You’ll likely purchase artisanal treats directly – or almost directly – from the person who created them, and your transaction puts money back into the local economy. So even if you’re not spending the holidays where you live, you can spread a little cheer with your shopping before you go. Bon appetit!