Overview
You will pretty much be overwhelmed with choices in Istanbul. These are the ones we think you should buy and the ones to avoid because they are probably the same or cheaper in your own home country.
Spices
This variety is very overwhelming and will range from everything including salt and pepper to custom mixes. Obviously don’t buy the common spices, those will be about the same to buy at your own local grocery store. Instead focus on their blended mixes like the Adana mix, Ottoman spices, and their Greek spice mixtures which I used for a rotisserie chicken recipe. Every shop will seemingly have their own offerings so be sure to ask for samples and get the ones you will use more.
Saffron
The same spice shops will usually have saffron. The Grand Bazaar will have the most obnoxious prices (250TL/gram) and will be more expensive than the local shops (around 180-200TL/gram). The shop owners will most likely do a dog and pony show to show you the color bleed of the saffron, it’s all theatrics. Get Iranian saffron and barter a larger quantity to get additional discounts. We ended up getting 10 grams total and the vendor offer 2 grams additional for free. Although you can get the same stuff through Amazon, the freshness is different since it sits in a warehouse for long periods of time.
Turkish Delight
Referring to the log shaped Turkish delights which are definitely worth getting, not the small cut common ones. We opted for ones that were loaded with almonds and pistachios and they taste great with their tea when you are missing that authentic flavor. These are worth paying for.
Tea Sets
This is another one that will vary greatly depending on the shop. For a set of 6 with a design the range is around 700-800TL in the Spice Bazaar and the touristy shops. If you venture out a bit like we did, the price dips to 600TL for the same sets. If you want a very ornate design those will run around 3000-4000TL but are near impossible to find even on Amazon.
Baklava
Most people will recognize Hafiz Mustafa as the standard in baklava, however, the local shops that are making fresh baklava will be just as good and will offer a more competitive price. Pistachio and walnut flavors are the ones we opted for in our past trip. I don’t remember the exact price per lb. but $15-20 gets a fairly large size container with several varieties included.
Jewelry
Gold in particular is definitely a must buy if you are budgeting this for your trip. We found the rates on average to be $30/oz less and no taxes further meant you were getting good quality gold for a fair price. This will be much higher in the US and also the quality is fairly light for most gold sets.
Perfumes
A little known specialty there buy are their fragrances that are purely oil based and contain no alcohol. Oud and Denizca were two that I thought smelled great. The cost is around 200-500TL for a small bottle that will last more than a year easily.
Carpets & Lamps
Although we did not plan to buy the handwoven carpets or decorative lamps, they were definitely on our list of quality made products to buy. On a follow-up trip we plan on purchasing both and will include more details. If you are buying these make sure the vendor can pack them well enough for the trip back home.