What are capers and where do they come from?
Thank you for the question and one that many people including cooks may not fully understand. Sometimes we just know that it tastes good and who cares about where it came from. (Sometimes we don’t want to know!) A caper is actually a flower bud from a bush native to the Mediterranean and some parts of Asia. Usually the buds are harvested and then sun-dried before being pickled in a vinegar brine. The smallest are the nonpareil from southern France and are considered by some as the best. In Italy one can find a larger variety about the size of the tip of your little finger and a caperberry from Spain is about the size of a grape. Here we purchase capers packed in small jars in brine and it is best to rinse them before using to remove some of the excess salt and brine. Also crushing slightly will enhance the flavor for a sauce or dish although for appearance sake we will leave them whole when adding at the end of a butter sauce etc for that added piquant taste to the sauce. Good luck and
