Souvenirs from Madrid

Candied violet petals and violet-flavoured sweets, a Madrid speciality since the late 19th century. Look for a shop that makes them itself, in a paper cone or tin; the sugar-coated petals should taste of flower, not just of sugar.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: La Violeta (Plaza de Canalejas 6, near Puerta del Sol), a confectioner open since 1915 and listed by esmadrid.com.

Almond and honey nougat eaten at Christmas all over Spain. Duro (hard, Alicante style) and blando (soft, Jijona style) are the two classics. Good turrón lists mostly almonds and honey; cheaper bars use more sugar and glucose.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: Casa Mira (Carrera de San Jerónimo 30), a turrón shop of the same family since the 19th century; busiest in December and closed in July and August.

Canvas shoes with a sole of braided jute rope, a Spanish classic. A good pair has a tightly braided, stitched sole and a cotton or linen upper; cheap copies have a glued rubber-and-jute sole that comes apart. Madrid's best-known shop sells several hundred models.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: Casa Hernanz (Calle de Toledo 18, near Plaza Mayor), a family espadrille shop since the 19th century; queues form in warm weather.

The capa española, a long wool cape that was everyday winter dress in Madrid for centuries and is still worn at formal events. Good ones are heavy wool, often from Béjar, with a velvet collar and a lining; thin synthetic copies are much lighter.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: Capas Seseña (Calle de la Cruz 23), a family tailor's shop that has made capes since 1901 and sits at this address since 1927.

The abanico is a hand fan with painted cloth or lace on wooden ribs, part of Spanish dress for centuries. Check that the ribs are wood or bone and the cloth is hand-painted; printed paper fans with plastic ribs are the cheap tourist version.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: Casa de Diego (Puerta del Sol 12, corner of Calle Montera), a fan maker on the square since 1858, with a workshop and small museum at Calle Mesonero Romanos 4.

A silk shawl with embroidered flowers and long fringes, worn at flamenco and for fiestas such as San Isidro in May. Real ones have hand embroidery that looks the same on both sides; machine-made copies are cheaper and thinner. A smaller silk scarf is an easier thing to pack.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: Casa de Diego (Puerta del Sol 12) also sells shawls and mantillas.

Madrid has a school of guitar makers, and its workshops build classical and flamenco guitars by hand. A handmade instrument is a big purchase; a small flamenco accessory or a student guitar is a more modest way to take the sound home. Ask about shipping or airline cabin rules first.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: Guitarras Ramírez (Calle de la Paz 8, behind Puerta del Sol), a family workshop since 1882, or Félix Manzanero (Calle de Santa Ana 12, La Latina), a luthier with a collection of antique guitars; both are listed by esmadrid.com.

The white home shirt of Real Madrid, with the club crest and a name and number printed to order. Buy it in an official club store: fakes are common near the stadium and at street stalls, and the official shirt has a woven crest and labels inside.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: Real Madrid Official Store at Gran Vía 31, or the club's main store at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium (Avenida de Concha Espina 1).

Plates, bowls and tiles in the blue-and-yellow tradition of Talavera de la Reina and Toledo, made in family workshops across Spain. Look for brush strokes and small variations in the paint, and a glazed, unpainted base; perfectly even decoration usually means a transfer print.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: Antigua Casa Talavera (Calle de Isabel la Católica 2), a ceramics shop open since 1904 and listed by esmadrid.com.

Spanish saffron, the dried threads of the crocus flower, is the spice that colours paella. Buy whole red threads in a sealed jar or tin rather than powder, which is often cut with other things. Light, flat, easy to pack and no customs problem inside the EU.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: La Melguiza (Calle de Santiago 12, near Mercado de San Miguel), a shop devoted to saffron, also selling oils, salts and paella mixes; listed by esmadrid.com.

Old books, prints, maps and comics from a row of small stalls on a sloping street by the Retiro and the Botanical Garden. Most titles are in Spanish, but old maps, posters and illustrated editions are easy to carry home. Prices are set by each bookseller and can be discussed.

• 🛍️ Where to buy it: Cuesta de Moyano (Calle Claudio Moyano), 30 stalls on the slope along the Botanical Garden near Atocha station; each stall sets its own hours (esmadrid.com).