Food for Thought by Daphne Oz

Last week, I shared a bit about my recent culinary exploits while visiting family in Istanbul. This week, I'm going to illuminate another treasured Turkish tradition: that of bargaining at the Kapali Carsi, the covered bazaar.

Entering the covered bazaar overwhelms the senses, as you're hit first by the heady smell of spices and hot Turkish tea and coffee wafting from nearby stands and then blinded by all the gold and gems glittering from behind glass windows and finally regaled in a flurry of languages, regaining composure in time to hear the nearest street vendor call to you: "Hello, Ms.! Let me help you spend your money!"

It is a bizarre feeling of, on the one hand, taking a giant leap back in time, to the era of sultans and treasures and traveling caravans — when you look up from the giant main thoroughfare of the covered bazaar, you can see that the second story of each store exposes the dirt bricks used to build these stands hundreds of years ago — and, on the other, being immersed in the modern transactional warfare of everyday Western commerce. Heading off the main road, where most stores are tourist traps at best, you wind your way down to the old bazaar portion, where the stores are one-eighth the size, fit only for a few customers at a time but teeming with hidden treasures just waiting to be plucked up.

Though you would have no trouble finding anything from gorgeous leather coats and handbags to antique calligraphy, from Iznik tiles and glass lanterns to handcrafted rugs, from patterned tea sets to inlaid chessboards and from the finest jewelry to souvenir tchotchkes, the real finds at the bazaar are those stores that have winding staircases taking you up to the second story. There the patron will invite you to sit and enjoy a complimentary glass of Turkish apple tea and to break a fingernail or two on the wonderfully salty pistachios or maybe pop a sweet, soft cube of Turkish delight instead, and then the real magic begins.

The tradition of bargaining has been around for as long as humans have believed they should be getting a better deal. But what is unique about bargaining at the bazaar is that you can almost be assured that whatever price your vendor initially quotes you is at least 25 percent more than what he actually expects to receive.

He tells you this price not to insult you or scare you off, but to invite you into a time-honored dance of buyer and seller, wherein you must negotiate carefully, on the one hand preserving the integrity of his goods — telling him his ugly rug is not worth a nickel will get you nowhere! — and on the other letting him know that you are not some country bumpkin willing to be taken for a ride. In turn, he will acknowledge your status as an educated consumer by offering you his "best price" — usually a nominal discount — which, of course, you will decline appreciatively, only to return your own "best price."

This negotiation will continue until you reach your agreed-upon price or part ways, but there are three crucial points to bear in mind that will guarantee you leave the bazaar a happy man or woman:

1) Score an invitation to that secret second-level hideaway if you can. Ask whether you can see any special selection and whether there is more upstairs. You likely will find a beautiful selection not offered downstairs, and your host will be likelier to bargain and accept a low price if not in the presence of many other customers, who might demand a similarly good deal.

2) Know the value of what you are buying. Before you head to the bazaar, take a moment to research the price of gold and jewelry, as well as the going price of Oriental rugs, if you're planning to make a big purchase. For smaller items, go in knowing what you would feel comfortable spending so that you can inch closer and closer to this number rather than feel swayed by what the price that's quoted to you ends up being. Remember to be fair, though; no one wants to hear that his goods are worthless, and giving a price that is so low as to be insulting will likely get you an unhappy shopkeep who is no longer in a bargaining mood.

3) Know when to leave. The hardest thing to do sometimes is to walk away from what feels like a treasure, but unless you're prepared to pay the asking price, don't seem overeager for a particular item; that reveals your hand. Instead, continue perusing other pieces in the shop, or offer to buy a couple of items for a discounted price. If your vendor really won't budge, slowly make your exit. Sometimes this trick works to get you both on the same bargaining page again. And sometimes you have to bank on the fact that you will find that item at another store, you can pay a return visit on your way out if nothing else strikes your fancy, or it was only meant to exist as a fleeting possession, one hot and exciting afternoon in the Turkish bazaar.

To find out more about Daphne Oz and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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