What Is a Caper?

Published on Thursday, March 13, 2008, by Michele Foley / Edit Post

What is a caper?

A caper is the unopened flower bud of the prickly caper plant Capparis spinosa. It looks a bit like a dark green pea and is native to the Mediterranean region, where it is used widely. Capers are prized for the flavor they add to dishes such as Mediterranean Braised Chard and Pan-roasted Halibut with Caper Vinaigrette.

Capers are harvested by hand and then cured in brine, vinegar, wine, or salt. Stephen Facciola, author of Cornucopia: A Source Book of Edible Plants, says raw capers are pretty flavorless. “It’s the pickling process that brings out a caper’s sharp and tangy lemony flavor,” says Facciola.

If the caper flower bud blooms before it is harvested, the flower’s fruit—called the caperberry—is picked instead. Caperberries are larger and filled with seeds, says Susanna Hoffman, author of The Olive and the Caper: Adventures in Greek Cooking. Caperberries are also pickled but are served as a garnish or a snack, like olives.

Chowhounds have many ideas about how to cook with capers.

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  • i ate a papaya seed the other day by mistake, and it tasted like a caper!

  • EWSflash & All,

    I will admit, as well, that I eat capers with "nothing but a spoon", also. But for some reason, Caper Berries are not quite as tasty. I will definitely try the cottage cheese idea. Thx for the comments!

  • Heck, I'll even make a dirty martini with capers instead of olives, they're so good! And sometimes I eat them with nothing but a spoon.
    Try a mix of lettuce topped with a spoonful of cottage cheese topped with a sprinkling of capers and their juice. Yum X3.

  • Good idea chiliefries! I thInk I'll add some capers and some of that great liquid to my next batch of potato salad! Thank you!

  • I use capers in my potato salad. They add a different and subtle flavor that helps bring out other more traditional potato salad flavors (e.g. eggs, onions), without being over powering. The pickling liquid can also be added to taste, instead of vinegar.

  • we use the ones in brine all the time 2-3 times a month