Best Last-Minute Gifts from the Duty-Free in Turkey
After a beautiful holiday in Turkey, it’s time to return home to family and friends. You know they’ll be waiting to hear about your trip, and they may be hoping for a gift or two. So what are the best last-minute gifts you can find at the duty-free?
Local Wines
Turkey produces some of the most unique combinations of wine and wine from different grape varieties.
When you are bringing goods from Turkey to the UK, you should know about the duty-free allowance first. The duty-free allowance from Turkey to the UK for alcohol has recently been increased.
You can bring in 42 litres of beer?and?18 litres of wine (not sparkling). You can also bring in?either:
4 litres of spirits and other liquors over 22% alcohol, or
9 litres of fortified wine, sparkling wine and alcoholic drinks up to 22% alcohol.
You are allowed to?split this last alcohol allowance; for example, you could bring back 6 bottles of fortified wine (75cl per bottle) and 2 bottles of spirits (1 litre per bottle) - both half of your allowance.
If you want something slightly different, you can get a fruit wine like pomegranate wine. The pomegranate is a perfect gift during different seasons, you can use it to make mulled wine during Christmas, and it is refreshing to have it with a cube of ice during the summer.
Turkish Delight
This one is a classic, and of course, it’s on our list. Although you can probably find Turkish delight at some shops in the UK, it’s still a good last-minute gift to take to your office. We recommend getting double roasted pistachio or hazelnut lokum.
Olive Oil
Turkish olive oil is made in the Western regions of the country and despite having similar weather conditions to Greece, tastes more mild and buttery than Greek olive oil. You can get a bottle of extra virgin Turkish olive oil for a friend who loves cooking and inspire them to make a Turkish meal.
Evil Eye Warder
For spiritual friends or family members, an evil eye warder will be considered a thoughtful gift. The evil eye originated in Egypt (Eye of Horus), and it travelled to many cultures. Turkish people created the “nazar boncuğu” charm to protect people from harm (especially against other people’s jealousy). The blue colour is associated with the sea and the sky, as well as the ability to absorb dark energy.
Baklava
Another classic on the list is baklava. This delicious dessert is considered a representation of wealth in Turkish culture. It is usually brought as a gift on special occasions such as families asking for the bride-to-be’s hand in marriage, bayrams, and other celebrations. So if you have friends that have any celebrations coming up, gift them baklava!
Candied Chestnut
A lesser-known Turkish dessert is candied chestnuts. Candied chestnuts (or chestnut candy) are traditionally made in Bursa, and although they are made from chestnuts, they melt in your mouth. So if you’re flying from Bursa, for example, you’d be able to find the best brands selling this quirky sweet.
Honey
Turkish honey is well known and varied, from floral notes to more earthy or citrusy tastes. The most popular honey varieties are pine honey and highland honey. The latter is extremely rare as it is harvested from the indigenous highland flowers in the Anzer plateau in Rize.
Halva
Turkey has an endless list of desserts, but this one is probably the last on our list that you can find in duty-free shops. Halva’s history in Turkey goes back to the Ottoman Empire and the word actually comes from Arabic. However, the Ottoman halva recipe was quite different. The modern halva is made with tahini, butter and sugar. This is a popular dessert during Ramadan.
Turkish Tea
You can bring some Turkish tea to your tea-loving friends. If you buy it as a loose tea, it’s important to also buy a Turkish teapot as the brewing process is different from other tea varieties.
Natural Soap
Natural hand soaps are widely used in Turkey and are more common than liquid soaps. These soaps are made with real olive oil and smell incredible. The most popular ones are bay leaf scented.