We picked up some teas and spices here in the Istanbul Spice Market. So many of the shops in the market look the same that it's hard to know which ones are good (or if there's even any difference). We chose this one because the listed prices seemed reasonable and there were other patrons inside (but not so many that it was intimidating).
The gentleman who helped us was great. He spoke to us in both English and Spanish, cracked lots of jokes, and gave me a little bit of a deal by rounding down the weights of my purchases. He vacuum sealed all of our items for transport back to the United States and facilitated our communication with the cashier for paying. He also recommended an alternative to one of my first pick teas, saying it was better (and it was the same price). He did come on a bit strong trying to sell us Iranian saffron at what he said was a good price of 60 lira per gram (about $25 USD), so I am sure that's a big money-maker for them.
If you're in the Spice Market and want to choose a shop to buy from, this little place is a good one to try. read more