Matbah Delikatesser från Mellanöstern — Specialty Store in Norrmalm, Stockholm

Matbah Delikatesser från Mellanöstern is an independent shop on Nedre plan in Norrmalm, a short walk from Hötorget station, and what you notice first is how much fits into a small space: boxes of sweets, jars of paste, packets of dried vegetables and coffee lined up close together.

The Turkish delight is the reason to come. It is made to a standard where the pieces hold their shape and the flavour runs through in layers rather than sitting on top as pure sugar, and it travels well as a gift. The baklava is the second thing to ask for, and the tomato and pepper pastes are the third: the tomato paste is sun-dried, which gives it a deep, natural character rather than a sharp one, and the pepper paste is sold alongside it for anyone cooking Adana kebab at home.

Beyond those, the shelves carry natural tarhana in powder or Maraş style, 100 percent pomegranate molasses, noodles, Turkish jams, dried eggplant and peppers, Turkish coffee and Lebanese candies and chickpea snacks. The owner is warm and quick to explain what each thing is, and she offers free samples of most of it, so you are not guessing your way around the shelves.

The prices are lower than the address suggests. You can put together a bag of gifts and snacks for a modest sum, and the samples mean you can try before committing to a box. Nothing here is priced like a department-store food hall, which is part of why it is easy to walk in for one thing and leave with several.

The shop suits a short, focused visit rather than a full weekly shop: it is a delicatessen in the truest sense, with a range built around sweets, pastes and pantry staples rather than fresh produce and household goods. Come for the Turkish delight, stay for the conversation, and leave with something you would not find in a standard Stockholm supermarket.