by La Nicchia
(1)Buy new: $14.25
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Capers, like figs, are not fruits, but flowers. Believe it or not, it's caper flowerbuds that, once picked, washed, and salted, flavor salads and other dishes. The caper, a bramble-like shrub that easily adapts to many natural environments, grows everywhere in Italy, even climbing up the walls of our cities. What, then, makes Sicilian capers-and those from Pantelleria in particular-so surprisingly good, fragrant, and appetizing? Nature, first of all. In these climates, and on the lava soils of Pantelleria, capers have high concentrations of glucocaperine, the substance responsible for the particular and unmistakable aroma of capers. That's why capers from Pantelleria, unlike others available, actually taste of caper. Their flavor gives personality to salads or to any dish where they blend harmoniously. Gianni Busetta from the Nicchia in Pantelleria offers us capers that are 8 mm, small, but not too small. According to Gianni (and we agree with him), this is the best size. Smaller capers are unripe, and though they look nice and work as decoration, they're not up to par with what interests us most: flavor and scent. These capers must be rinsed before use.
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