If you’re a traveler heading home just in time for Christmas or if you’re an expat looking forward to visiting your family during Christmas, here is what you can take back home with you to fill those stockings.

For the foodie: Obviously, you can’t take all that seductive Turkish food back home with you. But what you can do is buy a cookbook that includes recipes by Istanbul’s top chefs and best-selling food writers carefully chosen for easy applicability in the home kitchen. All this and more is provided in Istanbul Contemporary Cuisine, a sturdy tome packed with mouth-watering recipes and impressive photography. And did we mention it’s the winner of the 2010 Special Award of the Gourmand Jury? Just click here to buy it in English, French, or Turkish. And if you want to add that extra bit to your gift, head to Mısır Çarşısı (Egyptian Bazaar) and buy a mix of spices to go with the book. (Make sure you read this article before you head to Mısır Çarşısı.) Mısır Çarşısı; Ragıp Gümüşpala Caddesi Eminönü Meydanı, Eminönü.  

For the spiritual warrior: Buy tesbih (Turkish prayer or worry beads) at Tesbihçi Cemil ve Kadir Karateke where you’ll find an incredible selection of tesbih made from a range of semi-precious materials. Şerifağa Sokak No.141-142 İç Bedesten, Grand Bazaar, Sultanahmet. P: (0212) 527 65 23

For the snooze addict: Instant coffee is one thing, Turkish coffee is another thing. If you’ve spent enough time in Istanbul, you know that Turkish coffee serves as a great wake-up-call. The problem: it is an art to make Turkish coffee properly. At least, it used to be. Now, we have the electronic Turkish coffee makers that do the trick for us. So buy an electronic coffee maker for your too-grouchy-to-talk-in-the-morning friend, relative, or ex-flatmate. Don’t forget to head to Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi to buy Turkish coffee. And if you like, buy a set that comes with cezve (traditional pot for making coffee) and coffee cups. If you want to mix things up, get cinnamon, chocolate, or mastic flavored coffee from Selamlique.

You can find the electronic coffee maker (click here to check it out) at Arçelik, an electronics store spread around the city. If you’re around Etiler/Levent, they have a store in Akmerkez shopping mall on Level Z (P: 0212 2820204). If you’re around the Galata area for some last minute sightseeing, there is a store right by the Galata Tower on Büyükhendek Caddesi No. 12 (P: 0212 2490514). You can also head to Valikonağı Caddesi No. 119 in Nişantaşı, located very close to the American Hospital as well as City’s Nişantaşı shopping mall (P: 0212 2466193).

Kurukahveci Mehmet Efendi; Tahmis Sokak No. 66, Eminönü; P: (0212) 522 00 80 

Selamlique; Ebulula Mardin Caddesi N.35, Levent; P: (0212)327 79 04 

For the traveler: When you go home and start telling all your adventures, your traveler friend will get jealous. We’re talking green envy here. So ward off the evil with the TOP 7 pocket guide that comes with the November/December issue of The Guide Istanbul magazine. The pocket book includes TOP 7 lists of everything you need to know about Istanbul, including restaurants, must-see sights, Turkish taverns, bars, Turkish designers, gift shops, tradesmen’s restaurants, cool buys as well as TOP 7 things to do by district. Just head to your nearest major bookstore to get it.

For the hipster: Buy a quirky design object at Kağıthane (House of Paper), a small design shop in Karaköy that has an innovative mix of items, from notebooks and postcards to folding fans and bags—all with a humorous edge and all inspired by Istanbul and Turkish culture. Kemankeş Caddesi Fransız İş Geçidi No.11, Karaköy. P: (0212) 251 71 95 
 

For the eco-friendly hippie:Get something organic at Abdulla Natural Products. The shop carries a range of all-natural, traditional Turkish bath products, such as hand-loomed towels, olive oil soap, peştemal (Turkish towels), and bathrobes. Halıcılar Caddesi No. 58/60, Grand Bazaar, Sultanahmet. P: (0212) 527 36 84
 

For the socially responsible friend:Your friend is an ethical consumer and won’t buy anything unless it will do good to someone. No worries. For something stylish, organic, and still very Turkish, just head to Nahıl Dükkan. This shop is one of the many projects of Kadın Emeğini Değerlendirme Vakfı (KEDV), a non-profit organization that supports women. In this store, you can find a whole range of Turkish must-buys, including peştemal, hamam accessories, hand-embroidered scarves, and travel bags, all at very reasonable prices. İstiklal Caddesi Bekar sokak No.17, Beyoğlu. P: (0212) 251 90 85