The Best Gifts for the Dinner Host
Never arrive empty-handed again. Our edit of gifts for the people who open their homes to us, from the pantry to the mantelpiece.
In Bangladesh, the rule is unwritten but absolute: you do not arrive at someone's home empty-handed. A box of mishti from the good sweet shop will always be welcome. But there is something special about a gift that shows you thought about the host: what they cook, what they keep, what they would never buy for themselves.
It is also a Sunnah. "Give gifts and you will love one another," the Prophet ﷺ said (Al-Adab al-Mufrad 594), and he himself "used to accept gifts and used to give something in return" (Sahih al-Bukhari 2585). A good host gift does both: it thanks, and it strengthens the bond. Here are ours.
For the pantry
The best host gifts get used, and nothing gets used like good food. Choose something they will reach for long after the dinner party is over.
Blackseed Honey
Honey is one of the few foods with a surah named after its maker: An-Nahl, "The Bee". [TEAM: one line on the honey's colour, taste and source.] It is the host gift for the friend who starts every morning with warm water and a spoon of something golden. It comes in 250 g, 500 g and 1 kg, so you can bring a small jar to a first dinner and a large one to your in-laws.
Plum Pickle
The kind of achar that disappears from the table faster than the main course. [TEAM: one line on the recipe.] Bring it for the host who serves khichuri on rainy evenings; they will thank you by the second spoonful.
Chili Pickle
For the host who likes their food with a little fire. [TEAM: one line on the chillies and oil.] Pair it with the plum pickle for a sweet-and-hot duo that looks generous without being extravagant.
LIFE Shahi Masala
Cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and star anise, warmed by black pepper, nutmeg and bay leaf. This is the blend that turns a weekday korma into a wedding dish, and it is made with no artificial colours or preservatives. A teaspoon or two at the end of cooking is enough to fill the house. It is the gift for the host who cooked for you, so they can cook for someone else.
For the table
Adopt a Gentle Tone While Speaking Mug
From our series inspired by the wisdom of Imam al-Ghazali and Rumi, this light grey mug carries advice every household could use before the second cup of tea. The design is made in the ceramic, not heat-printed, and holds 350 ml. Bring two, one for each host, and let them decide who needs the reminder more.
Start With Bismillah Wooden Lid
A small disc of natural wood, 9 cm across, that sits on a standard mug to keep tea warm and dust out. Each one has its own grain. It is the gift for the host who has everything, because they almost certainly do not have this.
For the home
Rabbana Dua Cards
Twenty sturdy cards carry forty Rabbana du'as, the supplications that begin "Our Lord", each in Arabic with harakat, transliteration and English translation. Each one has its own original artwork. They come with a wooden stand, so one du'a can sit on the sideboard each week. It is a gift that keeps giving, one card at a time.
Sadaqah Savings Box
Porcelain in white and blue, with calligraphy picked out in gold and a removable lid. It is the most elegant way we know to keep a family's charity in one place. It suits a new home, where it will sit by the door and gently remind everyone who passes that some of what comes in should go back out.
Explore more gifts for the home here
A last word
The best host gift is not the most expensive one. It is the one that makes them say, "How did you know?"
Words by Rashid Shahriar, Founder & Head of Designs
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