Capers are small green fruits that grow on bushes in the Mediterranean. They are particularly prevalent in Italian cooking in the South and can be used as a condiment or for seasoning. They are quite salty in general and the version from Pantelleria, an island off the coast of Sicily, are particularly salty. Capers tend to grow on rocky coasts.
Capers or Capperi. as they are called in Italian, have a very flavorful aroma. The ones from Pantelleria are a designated product, or an IGP which means Indicazione Geografica Protetta. This special designation is given to products from Italy that are characteristic of the location where they grow. The Capperi from Pantelleria must be conserved under sea salt. Before using them, the salt is usually washed off.
Capers are used in a host of Italian specialities from Neapolitan and Sicilian Pizza to puttanesca sauce and even alone with a bit of oil on pasta. Italy is a nation of “navigatori e marinai” or sailors and every sailboat crew knows to bring capers along for an emergency meal with pasta. Capers are also used with fish and on Pantelleria, they are fried in a dish with potatoes, put into salads and made into a special pasta sauce.
Capers are said to have good nutritional value. They are very low in Cholesterol and are a good source of protein, vitamin A, vitamin E, Niacin, Calcium and Manganese, and a very good source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin K, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Copper. However, they are high in sodium. That said, they are also known to be an aphrodisiac.
