Giza's neighbourhood markets, concentrated around the older residential areas near the city centre, sell spices, herbs, and dried goods at prices far below anything in the tourist-adjacent shops. Egyptian spice culture is serious: cumin, coriander, fenugreek, dried hibiscus (karkadeh) for tea, black seed (nigella), dried chamomile, and the full range of ras el hanout-type blends for cooking. The hibiscus in particular — brewed into a tart, ruby-red tea served hot or cold — is one of the genuine flavours of Egypt and makes an excellent lightweight souvenir.
The vendors in these markets are not oriented toward tourists and prices are fixed and fair. The experience of navigating a working Egyptian neighbourhood market — past the butchers, the vegetable sellers, the fabric stalls, and the tea shops — is one of the better ways to understand the city as a place where eight million people actually live.