Hand-dipped lavender almonds made using a 150-year-old Macedonian recipe. Artisan-crafted vanilla marshmallow from Arizona. Wild harvested teas with flavors like Douglas fir tips.
You won't be able to find any of these products at your local farmers' market, grocer, Trader Joe's, or Whole Foods — but you can have them delivered straight to your front door. It's all thanks to husband-and-wife team Anne and Seraphim Danckaert, owners of the Fort Lauderdale-based artisan food delivery service Knoshy.
Knoshy is a monthly subscription box that features four to six small-batch snacks made by U.S. fine-food crafters. All snacks are accompanied by the story of the artisan who created it, and items are selected to perfectly complement the other carefully curated snacks shipped together in each box.
According to Anne, Knoshy's goal is not only to help broaden your palate but also to provide a voice and platform for largely unknown American artisans who wish to showcase their products. There's even a charitable angle: For every box sold, Knoshy will donate one meal to a hungry child in need.
The subscription service features products you won't find in stores, each snack hand-selected by Anne, who learned the art of cooking in Dieburg, Germany, where she was surrounded by a long line of small-town bakers. She eventually went on to become a cake decorator for her family’s bakery in Indiana before moving to South Florida with her husband in 2013. This year, the couple purchased Knoshy from its founding owner.
Unlike other specialty food delivery companies, Knoshy works to feature foods and flavors that represent a number of tastes, said Anne, from sweet and savory to crunchy snacks and fun dessert items. Each product is made fresh, to-order, and is free of preservatives or artificial ingredients. Most are also organic.
One more thing sets Knoshy apart from its competitors: flexible subscription pricing. Customers can choose from monthly, quarterly, or annual packages — or none at all. "On demand" boxes are available for those who don't want to be locked into a subscription plan, says Anne. That means you can order just one box at a time, reorder select boxes you enjoyed in the past, or simply pick and choose what flavor packages you'd like to sample next.
"We also make sure you can enjoy almost everything in the box without preparation," said Anne. "That's where we got our unofficial motto, 'Open Box, Insert Face.' As soon as you open your box, you can start knoshing on several items that taste great together.”
Knoshy retails for $33 (plus shipping), and in addition to a rotating box per month for subscribers, Knoshy has a number of one-off gift boxes in development, such as the Daredevil Box, a selection of snacks made from bugs or extremely spicy products; the Ice Cream Social, filled with all the ingredients necessary to host an impromptu ice cream party; and the Hostess Box, featuring small-batch meats, cheeses, and crackers.
"Knoshy isn't just about the food," said Anne. "It's about connecting people with the food that's being created and the people making it. I want to let everyone know the American dream is still alive."
The first round of Knoshy boxes is scheduled to ship May 1, 2015; the deadline to sign up was April 15. However, those interested can still purchase the May box on demand or sign up to receive future subscription offerings. Knoshy ships once per month, each box representing a new theme or season. Visit knoshy.com.
Nicole Danna is a food writer covering Broward and Palm Beach counties. To get the latest in food and drink news in South Florida, follow her @SoFloNicole or find her latest food pics on the BPB New Times Food & Drink Instagram.