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Capers are the small unopened buds of the Mediterranean
bush, Capparis spinosa. It is closely related to the cabbage family, but the
plant is more reminiscent of a rose bush. Capers are usually pickled in vinegar
and used whole or coarsely chopped in recipes or as a garnish.
Capers originated from the arid regions in western and central Asia. They
have been used for thousands of years with mention of them as an ingredient
in the Gilgamesh, possibly the oldest written story known, which was found
on ancient Sumarian clay tablets and which date back to c.2700 B.C. They are
also mentioned by Apicus, a Roman who is said to have written the very first
cookery book in the 1st Century and by Dioscorides (c.40-90 AD), a pharmacologist
who served as a surgeon in Nero's armies as a "marketable product of ancient
Greeks". The ancient Greeks not only used Capers as an ingredient in cooking
but also used the roots and leaves of the plant for medicinal purposes.
Today, capers are found growing wild all over Mediterranean and are also cultivated
in many countries including France, Spain, Italy, Morocco and Algeria. Harvesting
must be carried out regularly throughout the growing season. In Italy, they
are hand picked every 8 to 12 days. Each bud is picked in the early morning
before it can open after which they are sun-dried before processing. Pruning
is essential to achieve high production, as the flower buds only develop on
one year old branches.
Fresh capers have no real appeal for culinary purposes as the taste is very
bland however, after pickling in vinegar they have a strong piquant flavour.
They are also sometimes preserved in salt.
They have a flavour which can be described as sharp, mustard-like and peppery.
The unique flavour arises from mustard oil, methyl isothiocyanate. Much used
in Mediterranean cooking, they add tanginess to dishes such as pasta sauces,
pizzas and salads and go very well with meats and fish. The tender young
shoots and baby leaves can also be eaten as a vegetable, in salads or pickled.
In Crete they are traditionally collected in early Summer, and once preserved
can keep for up to a year if kept in a cool dark place in the house. |
