Earliest written history of the stocking describes them as "wrapping" for gifts.

It is unclear if the stockings were made from Woolly Mammoth hair or not, and some confusion ensued when said stockings were much larger than man's foot. Perhaps optimism was the reason.

In any case, a perfectly-preserved stocking with the name "Lucy" was found, with most of the contents intact and identifiable, including fruitcake.

The key to successful stocking stuffing is to keep the recipient in mind, including when that recipient is you.

Whether the shoe fits or not, whether you are a nobleman or one of his daughters, boots, clogs or stockings work just fine. The actual history of why we "hang stockings with care" is as clear as night.

Generated history from the never wrong AI says the first stockings were hung in 280 AD in what is now Turkey, and this practice was started by a man named Nicholas who used his wealth to help those who were suffering.

According to written stories and even before trees were cut to place presents under, we had clogs, rubber boots and stockings to fill with gifts of joy.

Long before any evergreen tree was cut down, before Charlie Brown took pity on a limb of a tree, we have been stuffing stockings to celebrate the Christmas season.

The history, like much of history, is less than clearly defined, it is when we put coal in stockings to keep warm during the cold winter months, and if there was no coal, then food.

It evolved overtime, especially in our time when we started doing stocking stuffers some 27 years ago to instill the desire to share our favorite foods with our favorite people.

The origin for us was that size mattered, and smaller was better, with more flavor and taste that would easily slide in to the stocking. A few years back, when the rage was to give a Jaguar (the car) to your significant other, we rebelled and thought this to be excessive.

Instead we say, give a bottle of Balsamic Vinegar! The one that we call "100-year-old". Now, is it really 100-years-old? Well, yes and no. It starts with a balsamic vinegar that is at least 100-years-old and a younger vinegar is added to pull out the flavors of one so mature. A vinegar so mature would move at a glacial pace and might never see the neck of the beautiful round bottle it is in without a young one to help it along.

As they say, "A taste of vinegar a day, keeps the doctor away!"

And what better way to do this than with a drop of wonderful aged Balsamic on the Abductor pollicis brevis or thereabouts on your hand to lick?

Check out all the ideas to inspire great stocking stuffing!

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In our store, people often ask if we have ever tasted this amazing 100-year-old balsamic vinegar?

Well, I have, thanks to the wonderful generosity of a customer who bought our very first bottle. He cracked it open right then and there at the counter and shared a drop! It was unlike anything else.

A 100-year aged balsamic vinegar is a rare find these days. It becomes as dense as molasses, with a fragrance and flavor that are deep and heady—think of a 40-year-old Tawny Port, and you're just scratching the surface. Imagine richness as intense as dark caramel, raisins, and a whole host of complex secondary notes.

Since it ages continuously, the characteristics of balsamic vinegar evolve throughout its various aging phases. After a certain number of years, it becomes denser, loses fluidity, and develops an extraordinary richness. This balsamic vinegar should be treated with devotion.

Shipping included.

Shop now for La Vecchia Dispensa 100-Year Balsamic!

Ricciarelli di Siena are Italian almond cookies with a long history rooted in Tuscany.

The origins of Ricciarelli date back to the Middle Ages in the city of Siena. It is believed that the name Ricciarelli comes from a nobleman named Ricciardetto della Gherardesca, who brought almond-based sweets back from the Crusades.

During the Renaissance, Ricciarelli became a cherished luxury sweet, enjoyed by the aristocracy and offered as a symbol of prosperity during special occasions.

Their iconic shape, an elongated oval with slightly pointed ends, is thought to resemble the slippers worn in Middle Eastern courts.

Unlike other Italian cookies, Ricciarelli are not twice-baked. Instead, they are soft, chewy, and dusted with powdered sugar.

Ricciarelli di Siena have been granted Indicazione Geografica Protetta (IGP) status, meaning they are protected as a regional specialty and must adhere to specific production standards to be labeled as such.

They are a beloved Christmas holiday tradition.

Pair Ricciarelli with Vin Santo (a sweet Tuscan dessert wine), espresso, or just eat them!

Shop now for Marabissi Ricciarelli di Siena I.G.P. Soft Almond Cookie!

What started as a friendship of frequent proximity grew, over many, many years, to an intimate bond between a nut and a seed.

They had met in school. One was sophisticated, refined, inside a hard shell and the other was more free-flowing, willing to be a truffle one day and a hard candy the next.

They were friends, often together for events, parties, and most frequently from September to October when harvest was happening.

It was an accident really, for them to meld together; one after being solid for so long, became more fluid, the other broken out of its shell. But meld they did, and what you see before you is an amazing combination of walnut and chocolate, perfect in nearly every way.

By taste, it is a flavor with a memory that is as strong as it is in the mind.

One of the most wonderful combinations of nuts and chocolate we have ever had!

Shop now for Domaine de Bequignol Chocolate Covered-Walnuts!

Pour a little salt and petals into the palm of your hand.

Inhale with gusto and get a nose full of fresh.

It is a fresh field of spring wildflowers in the palm of your hand.

It's a floral salt with a dreamy breath of fresh breeze.

The salt itself is light with a big crunch that is small (the crystals are small). The floral of roses is the finish at the tip and on the lips, or is it the marigold with the orange blossom leaves?

Colorful and flavorful!

It's like a country jamboree, fun with familia and neighbors all singing to your taste buds!

When you top your deviled eggs it is like you are adding a touch of spring wildflowers along with a gentle sea breeze! Perhaps that is a bit of an over-exaggeration, for sure though it is a good looking salt!

Not just for savory or sweet, this sal de mar is so pleasingly pleasant it just plain works.

Shop now for Sal de IBIZA with Edible Flowers!

These are perfection. RV camping or tent camping or fireplace camping at home. Easy to make from microwave to stove top to boiling in the pouch, it takes just a few minutes.

And the result is way better than you expect. Always! This is why it is so perfect for Glamping!

It is so good!

See the Lummi Island Wild Smoked Salmon Chowder here!

Who wouldn't like pearls as a gift? Show you care with a jar of pearls! Skip the string and give a spoonful!

Perfect for topping small bites of cream cheese and crackers. Or, break in the new year with a great diet of deviled eggs topped with pearls of balsamic.

Filled with the passion and age of a great balsamico, these little round balls bring a contained taste. Not too much, just right. These popping little feats of modernity and tradition make for pure culinary joy!

Balsamic pearls from Leonardi 1871 in Modena, Italy. Molecular gastronomy let loose on amazing balsamic vinegar—and the result is little spheres of balsamic who's flavor bursts in your mouth.

Perfect for a cheese platter, or atop a smoked salmon to add an exciting touch of sweetness and texture. Or, just eat them out of the jar.

Shop now for The jewels of Modena!

This is a fabulous gift for the baker or cookie maker...but it is wonderful to eat with a spoon, too!

No fancy packaging here, this commercial tub of Mandelin premium almond paste is the real deal.

You can shape this white treat into little animals for your next birthday cake. Or, into leaves for the top of an apple pie.

Shape and eat! Or just eat it. It's that good.

This is a professional, premium almond paste that is made with 66% almonds, whereas most almond paste is made with 50% or less almonds.

Our almond paste contains bitter almond oil for an extra boost of almond flavor, a flavor the Europeans are known for.

Did you know that most of the almond paste used in countries like Switzerland and France is made from almonds grown in California, including some that is exported back here to the USA!

Shop now for Almond Paste here!

I love these nuts! I could easily eat an entire bag all by myself. They are so satisfying that they will last and last!

These might be the very best nuts you may ever have! Perfect hazelnuts with just enough texture from the pralinate or sugar. The feel in the mouth is delicious! One nut at a time is all you need in your mouth. With the gentle bite and the crunch that comes with it is a joy indeed!

These hazelnuts are typically made using Tonda Gentile Trilobata hazelnuts, a prized variety native to Piedmont known for its rich flavor, smooth texture, and high oil content.

The pralination process enhances the natural nuttiness of the hazelnuts with a delightful caramel crunch, creating a luxurious snack or dessert ingredient.

Shop now for Antica Torroneria Piemontese Nocciole Pralinate - Hazelnuts!

In this recipe, adapted from Maialino's Restaurant in New York City, and published as a Genius Recipe on Food52, we change out orange for lemon, packing the cake with that lemony punch through lemon juice, lemon zest and Limoncello liqueur, along with Casina Rossa EVOO infused with fresh lemons from Sorrento. We recommend making it the day before serving, so the flavors can meld and the olive oil can work its magic with the delicate 00 flour we use here.

See the Triple-Lemon Olive Oil Cake Recipe here!

I have this oil always on hand. It can make anything better and everyone who tastes it in the store loves it, too!

The Californians use Meyer lemons and the Umbrians use Sorrento lemons. Each has its own personality and adds something special to these oils.

We are loving the artisan Sorrento lemon infused olive oil because it's perfect for fish or oven blasted vegetables, like asparagus.

It fills the nose with a wonderful lemon scent, without any bitter notes. To the eye, it has a nice yellow-green color and darkens with depth.

To the mouth, it is pure joy. A sip is lemony. By the mouthful, it takes a moment for the lemon to evolve into a gentle wash that passes through. As the oil swishes the lemon moves to the outside in the cheeks and to the back of the throat. It has a bit of roll around action and when the oil has dissipated, the upper part of your cheeks seems to keep the lemon flavor!

The finish has a little bit of bitter on the top outer edge of the tongue and a hint of heat in the lower back of the throat - enough to create a little cough.

This oil is so good you can drizzle it on pasta and that's all you need! Summer is better with artisan Sorrento lemon infused olive oil from Italy.

Shop now for Casina Rossa Sorrento Lemon Olive Oil!

The first time I tasted a Chocolat Moderne Chocolate and Toffee bar, I honestly didn't know what to expect.

The name should have been a hint to what lay inside the golden foil inside the box.

You can see that the bar is sectioned off in 24 parts. One bite, one taste, one section is all you need to understand how great these bars are.

You get great chocolate and a delightful crunch with a mixture of flavors that is like all Chocolat Moderne's chocolate, always a wonderful mix of surprising successful flavors that is a surprise, and always great!

This might just be the perfect set of bars for flying!

See all of the Chocolat Moderne offerings here!

Nonnettes are similar to Pain d'epices in that they are a "spice-bread" that has honey as a key ingredient. These "Nonnettes" are from Les Ruchers de Bourgogne, the beekeepers whom make some of the finest honeys we have ever had!

Like a small round cake, slightly larger than a mouthful, with a center of jam, it is not the jam that is "featured", it is in fact the bread itself. It is hard to explain how these cakes are. The outside smells like a gingerbread and when you take the first bite the honey sugar on the outside crinkles in your mouth.

The outside blends with the "cake", soft and chewy, it is a drier feel than you might expect, it is more like a super soft ginger bread cookie. The jam in the center is a little pocket of topping in reverse, as if you dolloped the bread yourself.

The spices and the honey in the "bread" are quite a combination that is both subtle and tasty. Perhaps not for everyone, every element of this delicious cake is top notch! I love this cake and its bigger brother Pain d'espices.

I could eat all 6 in one sitting! Will easily fit in a stocking, but be careful not to squish!

Want to impress your home Francophile who cooks only French? They will love you for this!

Shop now and see all the Nonnettes here!

Inside this very classic pry-top can is housed minty fresh mints, all wrapped individually. So you can steal a couple for your pocket or purse, seal it back up, and give them away. And no one will know.

Or, skip the giving away and throw the can in the car for that long trip to the country when holiday traffic is so bad.

Uncle Joe's mints "keep you all aglow"! This is made with the premium English Mint. Who would think just three ingredients could make the most delicious mint candy.

Uncle Joe’s masterfully blends golden brown cane sugar, cream of tartar, and oil of peppermint to create a treat that keeps you on the happy side. The recipe has remained a closely guarded secret, but these refreshing minty treats are still manufactured in the traditional way, over open gas fires.

Perhaps the very best on the planet, it's not just a "mint", not just a "candy"; we consider Uncle Joe's Mint Balls a food.

Established in 1898, the award winning Wm. Santus & Co. LTD. is run by a fourth generation confectioner who still guards the secret recipe that makes this sweet the sweetest!

You can't have enough in your pantry (or your glovebox). You just never know when you will need a refreshing pick-me-up! Uncle Joe's Mint Balls make you feel so good!

Shop now for Uncle Joe's Mint Balls!

Shake vigorously and see the bubbles!

Pop the top and smell lemon and more.

And boy what fun to taste!

It's not liquid like water! Nope, it's like a syrup that is smooth and light with a shape that moves magically in your mouth.

With little bits of surprises of lemon zest floating, it's a joy to sip!

Sweet, yes of course. 100 percent lemony? No, not all. With the touch of orange citrus this drizzle sauce is more than one note! It really does sing!

Top the top, drizzle on pastry, a pie, fruit, or cottage cheese. Versatile and simple. Or, just sip to make yourself happy!

See the Hawkshead Lemon Drizzle Sauce here!