World Market Is a Good Option for Finding Spicy Gifts

The holiday season is upon us, and as you are shopping for gifts, you may see one of those generic hot sauce samplers and decide to get it for a friend or family member who likes spicy things. But my advice is to pass that on by (I go into more detail on that here) and look for name-brands that are a known quantity or craft sauces. And if you have a World Market near you, then you should be able to find plenty of good gift options. I will note before proceeding that I am not getting paid to promote World Market products, nor are there any affiliate links in this article—I just happen to like the store. (But hey, World Market, if you want to pay me to promote your products or send me some affiliate links, give me a call.)

Wandering around the store this year, they did not have as many different hot sauces as I have seen in the past, nor did they have many sets to choose from. Last year, they had several hot sauce sets from craft makers along with several of the generic sets, but not so much this time around (I blame the economy). But the hot sauce shelf itself had a good selection, including several sets. The Torchbearer collections–either the three-pack or eight-pack–are definitely worth picking up as gifts. And the five-pack Hot Ones set they had is pretty good, though a bit pricey at sixty bucks in my area (the three-pack is a bit more affordable at $35). As for the Melinda’s set, World Market sells it for thirty bucks whereas you can find it at Walmart for around ten bucks, so make a trip to that store if you want that one. Apart from the sets, there are quite a number of sauces as well as several chili crisps on the shelf that you could make your own set with.

And if you look around, you can find other spicy items in the store as well. In the Asian section, they have several sauces and seasonings as well as a good selection of spicy noodles.  In the Italian section, you will find some Calabrian chili sauces as well as some tomato sauces with a kick. Around the olives, you will find the Marconi Giardiniera as well as their Muffuletta mix. And they have several options for spicy chips, including a number of the international flavors you won’t find in stores here in the U.S. (which includes some flavors like Grilled Squid which are great for gag gifts). They also have several hot mustards there, so you can come up with all sorts of gifts for lovers of spicy foods.

I only saw one of the generic hot sauce sets (and it was kind of pricy at thirty bucks), but it is possible that they have some others around the store that I missed. Skip those, though, and give something that your friends and family will enjoy more. It may cost a bit more, and maybe you only give one or two bottles of sauce, but it will be worth it.