5 gifts under $30 for foodies and (non) drinkers

As one of The Banner's food reporters, I'm always coming across new products that make interesting stories — and great gifts.

Here are a few trendy items that would make story-worth stocking stuffers for the discriminating foodie or drink lover on your list.

The best part? With the exception of one super-bougie chip variety, they're all available for under $30.

Swedish candy

Scandinavian gummies are taking over the world, with some help from TikTok and a nudge from high cocoa prices. European brands, made with sugar instead of corn syrup, typically offer smoother textures and more balanced flavors than any of the junk we enjoyed rotting our teeth with as children.

Stop by the Wine Source in Hampden to check out one of my favorite new brand, Sockerbit ($12) whose adult-friendly candies are so addictive you may want to buy a couple of bags.

More broadly, international junk food is hot right now. If you want to splurge, pick up a $54 tin of Bonilla a la vista patatas fritas at Little Wing, a new coffee shop in the up-and-coming-foodie-hood of Baltimore Peninsula inside the Roost hotel. If you're looking for something more economical, stop by your local World Market for brands like Espinaler ($5.99) and Torres Selecta ($6.99).

Tinned fish

Tinned fish has been trending in the food world for a few years now, with some our favorite local restaurants like Rooted Rotisserie and Dutch Courage serving it on their menus.

Whether you're late to the craze or a longtime sardine devotee, check out the offerings from foodie favorite brand Fishwife ($8.99-$17.99), which calls itself the "world's tastiest tinned fish" and is available at The Fresh Market. Want to try some non-tinned smoked salmon? You also can't go wrong with literally anything from Baltimore's own Neopol, one of my favorite places to scoop up lunch or a no-cook dinner.

Fun drinking cups, glass straws and artisanal water

Fancy glasses and glass straws somehow make any beverage taste better. I learned this lesson while reporting on the hottest trend in beverages ( it's water , which, of course, tastes better sipped through a glass straw). Pair this accessory ($6) with one of these head-shaped glasses ($12), a top seller at Hampden's Modern World, and never suffer through a soggy paper straw again.

Speaking of water, I am hooked on two elite brands of H2O: calcium-rich Gerolsteiner Sprudel ($2.89), available at Wegman's, and the Alka Seltzer-tasting Vichy Catalan water ($5.59), which you can find at Fresh Market.

Hear me out: Instead of the usual bottle of wine, shake things up by bringing your holiday host a refreshing bottle of bubbly ... water. They'll thank you in the morning.

The Ultimate '90s Cocktail Playlist

Cocktails of the '90s have been "in" for a while — look no further than the espresso martini craze , which shows no signs of slowing. Take it a step further with this cocktail book featuring drinks inspired by your favorite '90s songs and trivia about the artists that wrote them. Did you know that the Breeders went on a hiatus in 1994 when sisters Kim and Kelley Deal independently checked into rehab? Ponder that fact — and other '90s music trivia — as you sip a Blue Curacao-flavored Cannonball, named for the band's biggest hit. $24.99 at In Watermelon Sugar and The Ivy Bookstore.

NON wine alternative

I first sipped these super-high-end wine alternatives ($29 per bottle at Modern World) during a super-high-end dinner at Baltimore County-born chef Johnny Spero's Michelin-starred restaurant Reverie. Consider my mind blown.

The sober-curious movement has given rise to a bunch of low-alcohol or de-alcoholized booze alternatives, but what I like about these bottles is that they're not trying to be something else. Spero thinks of them as really nice juices. Perfect for anyone who wants to get a start on their Dry January resolutions.