Even if you’re not a world traveler, this holiday season you can give the gift of culinary culture, and you barely have to leave home to do it. Why not seal the deal by packing all these worldly treats into an Irish hamper (it’s just a basket) or a Chinese porcelain box? Or don’t. Whatever. The point is that the holidays are about more than last-minute scrambles for wrapping paper and homemade socks that you’re going to give to the dog anyway. Food is an essential element of most holiday customs (be quiet, Ramadan), and most of your friends and family will appreciate the opportunity to taste something new. Those who don’t, can just stuff themselves with rubbery glazed ham and molded Jell-O salad and watch you merrily scarf down their present.
Sara Faith Alterman, a second-generation Phoenix freelancer, is the head writer for ImprovBoston and the author of Tears of a Class Clown. She can be reached at sara@sarafaith.com.
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