November 30, 2012

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Editor's Note: We're rolling out 10 Days of Indie Merchant Gifts, in our annual celebration of the artists, craftspeople, designers and other independent merchants who make one-of-a-kind products. See gifts in the categories of pets, jewelry, kids and quirky.

It's a tough job, but someone's got to do it.

A day before Thanksgiving, a team of editors at Entrepreneur.com's New York offices tasted and drank our way through the food and beverage items we received in response to our call for Indie Merchant Holiday Gift Guide submissions.

We discovered (no surprise) that we're suckers for cheese and chocolate. More unexpected? Our taste buds were overjoyed by cabbage, turmeric-tinted peanut butter and dried beef. Here, we share our top picks for delicious items made by independent merchants, all priced under $50.

And please note: This is the only category with a three-way tie for Editors' Pick. We simply couldn't narrow it down!

