Best gifts for your Asian Mom or Mother-in-law
Special occasions and holidays are stressful when you have to shop for everyone in the family. Sometimes, nothing is harder than having to buy a gift for your Asian mom, or even harder, your Asian mother-in-law. They’ll be vague about what they like or want, or seem to not want anything. Yet, dutiful daughter or son that you are, you still want to buy her something that will make her happy and show that you care. Here are our favorite gift ideas for the season.
Note, we are not affiliated with the sites (other than any Amazon affiliate links) below as our recommendations are genuine as always.
1. Tray of Togetherness
$350, from Wing on Wo & Co
We love the ceramic products from Wing on Wo & Co and their new Artist Line features a handcrafted Tray of Togetherness. This tray is beautiful - classic design with a modern look. Use it for Lunar New Year or any special party occasion. I’ve been dreaming about something like this for myself for a long time and it’s something that can be passed down for future generations. There are also various other beautiful items at Wing On Wo & Co.
Buy from Wing On Wo & Co
2. Classic Taiwanese Oolong Tea Set
$110, from Te Company
Drinking tea is considered a form of art in Chinese culture and is truly good for your health. If you want to be a tea elite, try the high quality tea leaves from Te Company. This set has three different kinds of Oolong tea leaves to sample. They also have a wonderful small teahouse in NYC where you can gift a tea experience. Pair the tea with some of their famous Pineapple Linzer cookies (touted as the best cookie by Saveur in 2016) or tasty snack bars for a nice way to enjoy an afternoon.
Buy from Te Company
3. CheongKwanJang Korean Red Ginseng
$100, from Korea Ginseng Corp
Every respectable Asian mom knows that the best red ginseng is from Korea. Growing up, whenever we had a layover at Seoul’s international airport, this would be the thing to purchase for making herbal soup, usually with chicken. If you buy this for your mother or mother-in-law, it’s likely that you and your family will end up drinking this when she makes the revitalizing broth.
There are various grades in ascending order of potency and value — cut, good, earth, and heaven — with heaven being the best and most expensive. Other gift ideas could be packaged ginseng tonics from this website.
Buy from Korea Ginseng Corp
4. Brass Easel and Calendar
$65, from Artifact Uprising
Artifact Uprising has some of the best quality prints and making a yearly calendar, photo album, or framed print from them is an easy win, because let’s be honest, which grandma can resist seeing pictures of their grandchildren? Bonus if the picture includes grandma in them.
Buy from Artifact Uprising
5. Longchamp Pliage Bag
$145, from Longchamp
This light and durable shoulder bag from Longchamp is a practical and classic look for grandma. I like that it can be folded into a small size so that the mom who travels can easily pack it into her suitcase.
Buy, from Longchamp
$20, from Amazon
If your mother or mother-in-law likes to be on-the-go, having a sleek thermos that can keep her tea or water at the right temperature will be a thoughtful and sustainable gift. I like the Zojirushi brand for their durability and practical function. And hey, they make great rice cookers too.
Buy, from Amazon
7. Lightweight Pocketable Down Vest
$49.90, from Muji
For the mum who’s always feeling a little chilly and want to be prepared, this pocketable down vest from Muji will be a nice touch to carry around. This vest will be great for layering to keep toasty in the cold. I also like that it’s filled with actual down and waterfowl feathers.
Buy, from Muji
$$$, from your wallet
There is nothing more practical than giving cash to an Asian parent when you really can’t find anything or run out of time to shop. Just make sure to put it inside a hong bao, a red or festive envelope so that it’s more classy. I would suggest pairing this with a small gift though, whether it’s something that she likes to eat or a framed picture of her grandchildren.
Buy envelopes from Amazon