Baltic Christmas Day 5 - The Gift Guide

On the Fifth Day of a Baltic Christmas, a gift guide! Brought to you by 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas and Baltic Imports, this guide has a little bit of everything: from something to bring the hosts of the next holiday party, to the home chef… from the kids on your list, to that hard to shop for uncle… Beautiful wood, ceramic, textile and amber goods are easier to purchase outside of the Baltics than ever, and thanks to artists’ collectives & export businesses combined with the ease of ordering over the internet, it no longer takes an international trip to pick up Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian goods to gift during the holidays!

Presenting: The Baltic Gift Guide, 2019 edition! 

For the host of the upcoming holiday party:

Instead of a bottle of wine, bring the host Lithuanian Krupnikas (honey liquor) from Brother Vygalis Spirits in NC. Don’t have a store that sells krupnikas nearby? Try making your own – recipe here.

The Brother Vygalis Baltic-style spirits

If you have a Marshalls or TJ-Maxx nearby, chances are you can find Latvian Laima Chocolates in your neighborhood. Need to order them online? Find Kalev, Laima, Pure, Ruta, Vilniaus Pergale and Karuna chocolates on Balticshop.com here.

Your hostess will love this thoughtful gift from Riija; their Amber Soap – Scrub is handmade from essential oils and amber dust!  

Dzintara ziepes - skrubis // RIIJA

For the home chef:

Popular blogger Latvian Eats has a new cookbook Soups, Stews & Porridge, that features Latvian classics such as aukstā zupa (chilled beetroot soup), slinkie tīteņi (lazy cabbage rolls), bukstiņbiezputra (barley porridge with potatoes) and sēņu zupa (mushroom soup)! Attractive photography combined with the fact that the recipes are in English make this a great gift for someone looking to replicate the dishes from a childhood in the Baltics!

Know of someone looking to perfect their rye bread recipe? The Rye Baker: Classic Breads from Europe and America might be just the book they are looking for!

      With rye cultures and baking traditions going back more than 1,000 years, Finnish and Latvian bakers have developed highly sophisticated techniques to produce rye breads of exceptional quality. Indeed, for Finns and Letts alike, rye bread isn't simply a central part of the daily diet, but a divine gift and a primary source of cultural identity and national pride. Experience the pleasures of authentic Baltic rye at their source. Explore the cities and countryside, visit farms and mills, and learn from the bakers who produce some of the world's finest rye breads. It's all out there, waiting for us. (source)

  

A hard-to-source foodstuff might be the way to go… How about these štovētie kāposti "Dimdiņi" from Lettshop.org? Preserved sorrel for soup, or grey peas – bring a taste of the Baltics to the table! Perhaps you are lucky enough to have a European grocery in your city, search there for everything from kvass to dried sorrel - you never know what you might find!

Everyone is talking about this new cookbook - Baltic: New and Old Recipes from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. With nearly seventy recipes to celebrate the unique culinary landscape of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, you won’t have to translate your favorite recipes for those English-speaking friends!

This attachment is perfect for any KitchenAid stand mixer, simply attach the pasta roller attachment to the power hub then let your mixer do all the rolling of your piparkūku dough!  Or if you insist on rolling your dough the traditional way, try a textured rolling pin from Oma Marta or STODOLA...

For the cool kid:

Check out this adorable “kas tos dūmus kūpināja” onesie by HelgawithouttheH, also available in a kids t-shirt. 

EDG Clothes has stylish, comfortable, exclusive handmade hats for your little ones. "Made with Love!” Find their adorable hats (which are made in Lithuania) here.   

Know someone expecting? These baby mobiles and Christmas ornaments from Lithuanian shop utatata Studio are adorable and unique.  

Latvia-based Ezekids has cute baby clothes, including these hats with ears. Or this hat and scarf set from Tīnes with more traditional designs... 

We love that this block set by KlikKlakBlocks has Lithuanian letters! P.S. They also come in Latvian!!!

We've seen several paper doll sets with traditional costumes. Claudia Paper Dolls has Laimdota, Kristīna, Līga and Laima, all in traditional Latvian costumes.

For the friend who has everything:

Handmade wood items ranging from keychains and Christmas ornaments to bowls, candle holders and vases, all handmade in Lithuania. StepasWood on etsy.com: "Handmade crafts from wood and nature".  

Munio Candela studio soy wax candles are inspired by nature, their skin products are crafted with 100% natural ingredients in reusable glass bottles, and the naturally scented diffusers would all make a great gift for the friend that loves the outdoors. Find them here. Also check out their collaboration with Miesai design with these natural scented soy candles in graphic ceramic cups, Prieks and Miers.

«Miesai» is an independent design company from the Baltics. Their simple, everyday items feature the iconic Rīga design, which this year is also available on the new mini Rīga shirt.

The Kaunas e-shop is amazing, with plenty of bags, coasters, and other goodies with maps and even the city’s graffiti. Also, a beautiful Christmas ornament...

Have a friend that loves unique t-shirts? They are almost guaranteed to be the only ones sporting this puzurs T-shirt by Cemme!

Socks for Christmas it is! The Estonian etsy shop KnittedWarmGifts features knit goods with Baltic motifs. 

More Baltic designs on HelgaWithoutTheH’s leggings, skirts and tops here. We are especially digging the deconstructed auseklis design.

Hopefully this has gotten your wheels turning! Still stumped? Check out the Baltic Imports gift guide, or one of the Baltic gift guides from previous years here, here and here. Also, the 24 Days BalticShop guide here! Have a great find that you would like to share? Please add your favorite Baltic gift ideas in the comments below!

Thank you to Baltic Imports for joining us today on 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas! For more Baltic-themed gift ideas, you can follow Baltic Imports on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. They can also be found on Pinterest, with a board perfectly suited for this time of year: Baltic Winter & Christmas.

We hope to see you again tomorrow, here on 24 Days of a Baltic Christmas... we have a recipe from a beloved Latvian chef in Australia. And don’t forget to add your favorite Baltic gift ideas in the comments below!