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Tuesday, March 19th
Gift basket contents can range from consumables to cosmetics and beyond. Below is a representative sampling of what is available to order from online and brick-and-mortar retailers.
Food
Food gift baskets can be made up of a range of food types, from sweet to savory. Some gift basket purveyors allow you to choose the items that make up the gift. Most also offer pre-packaged, pre-selected offerings. Commonly, the basket content is centered around one type of food, such as cheese, sausage, cookies or candy. Such purveyors as Hickory Farms and Harry & David create, among other offerings, baskets made up of different kinds of cheeses. For example, a basket might consist of different flavors of cheddar cheeses. On the other hand, you can find a basket made up of hard cheeses, such as Fontina and Asiago, soft cheeses, such as Camembert and Brie, or a combination of the two. For sausages and salamis, for example, the range of combinations is similarly broad. The focus of the basket might also be the nature of the items' manufacture. For example, igourmet.com offers a basket made up solely of artisan cheeses.
Specialty / Gourmet Foods
You can even find baskets composed of nothing but different varieties of imported, flavored and unflavored butters from differing countries, for example. Olive and other oils, vinegars, caviar, pate de foie gras, beef, bacon, exotic meats and game, among other specialty items, can also make up a gift box.
Candy
Chocolate gift baskets can represent many times the fun of boxed chocolates, as you can offer more than one type and brand of chocolate in any number of forms. For example, a basket might include boxed chocolates, bar chocolate and chocolate chips. In addition, you might be able to choose from dark chocolate of various cacao content levels, milk chocolates, or flavors and infusions, such as orange, mint, various liqueurs, and sea salt. Among other types of available gift box candies are toffee, taffy, hard candies, jelly beans and nut brittles.
Coffee/Tea
Coffees come in a range of bean and grind types. A basket might include both ground coffee and coffee beans. You may be able to choose coffees from different countries, such as Brazil, Venezuela, Ethiopia, or Kenya. Light roast, dark roast and other choices may also be available. Purveyors can include cookies or biscotti in a coffee basket to round out the offering.
Wine
A single bottle of wine is often greatly appreciated. A whole basket can truly bring on the smiles. A wine gift basket might include a selection of wines from a certain region, a certain country, a certain varietal, or type of grape (Pinot or Chardonnay, for example), or a given winery. Some baskets, in addition to wines, might include food accompaniments, such as cheeses or chocolates.
Bath and Body
Nothing says "I love you" like a gift that is intended to pamper and soothe. Christmas, Easter, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and Secretaries' Day may be appropriate occasions for offering a bath & body gift basket. Cream, bar or liquid soaps typically accompany body, foot or hand creams and lotions. Body powders, bath mitts or sponges, and loofahs might also be included. These baskets often feature a given scent, such as lavender. Others are built around a theme, brand or locality. Some purveyors use gift baskets to highlight or promote their lesser-known product offerings.
Whatever the occasion, you're sure to find a gift basket that's just right for the intended recipient.
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