One of my go-to gifts over the years has been flavored salt — always useful on popcorn or around the rim of a margarita, I figure — but this season I plan to present my loved ones with a different addition to their pantry: chile flakes. Easily slotted into a stocking or attached to a larger gift (a backyard pizza oven, say, or a spice drawer organizer), chile flakes are another one of those kitchen staples that can be noticeably improved when done thoughtfully. Pizza Marvin, a Providence, R.I., pie shop that combines a nostalgic neighborhood feel with careful attention to ingredients, makes its own fragrant mix using locally grown peppers. The Athens-based herb purveyor Daphnis and Chloe sells a jar of flakes made out of Karatzova peppers that have been smoked for 10 days before being crushed by hand. (If your recipient becomes obsessed, next year you can give them a bulk jar.)

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Persons: margarita, Pizza Marvin, Chloe, chiles Organizations: Los, Chengdu Locations: Providence, R.I, Athens, Los Angeles