Ara’s Food Boxes was founded by Ara and Owen Essen who both grew up in the American South eating largely middle eastern food, cooked and inspired by the Armenian matriarch of the family.  Between the two of them, Ara and Owen have traveled to and enjoyed the local cuisines in over 55 countries around the world.  They share a lifelong love of food and cooking – largely eschewing recipes to experiment with new ingredients and tastes.

 

Having experienced the difficulty of obtaining ethnic food items in rural Colorado, Ara and Owen provide food boxes which can be a culinary lifeline for stranded ethnic cooks,  as well as an exciting alternative to the painfully similar food gift baskets that have blanketed the country for generations. Whether you have an established or developing taste for exotic snacks, authentic ingredients and flavorful spices, we hope you’ll enjoy our quickly growing variety of delicious food and gift boxes!