Capers
Small, intensely briny pickled flower buds used sparingly for a salty, acidic accent.
- Salt
- high
- Fat
- low
- Sweetness
- low
- Acidity
- high
- Heat
- none
- Moisture
- low
- Umami
- moderate
- Cooking requirement
- raw ready to eat
Preparation
Drained (and rinsed if salt-packed) before scattering, used sparingly given their intensity
A little goes a long way; scattered thinly rather than in clusters
Applied before baking.
Cautions
- stacking with other very salty toppings (anchovies, olives) risks an oversalted result
History and cultural context
The pickled flower buds of a Mediterranean shrub, produced particularly on Pantelleria and Salina and long established across Sicilian and southern Italian cooking.
Traditional regions: Sicily, Aeolian Islands, Pantelleria
Sold salted or in brine; the salted form is the traditional preparation and needs rinsing before use.
Where it is actually used
Pairs with anchovy and olive in the region's preserved-ingredient vocabulary, which is also the topping vocabulary of sardenaira and pissaladière along the Ligurian and Provençal coast.
Generally accepted
What it is called elsewhere
- Capperi — Italian
- Chiapparo — Sicilian, Sicily
- Sicilian street-food traditions and the Palermo markets — Slow Food Italy regional documentation
- Sardenaira — Wikipedia
Pairs well with
- Fresh basil
Explicitly noted as a good balance for Capers. Its low salt level offsets Capers's intensity. Adds textural contrast against Capers.
- Pineapple
Its low salt level offsets Capers's intensity. Its sweetness balances Capers's savoury intensity. Adds textural contrast against Capers.
- Fig
Its low salt level offsets Capers's intensity. Its sweetness balances Capers's savoury intensity. Adds textural contrast against Capers.
- Sliced banana
Its low salt level offsets Capers's intensity. Its sweetness balances Capers's savoury intensity. Adds textural contrast against Capers.
- Honey (post-bake drizzle)
Its low salt level offsets Capers's intensity. Its sweetness balances Capers's savoury intensity. Best added fresh after baking, for brightness against Capers.
- Fried egg (post-bake)
Its low salt level offsets Capers's intensity. Adds textural contrast against Capers. Best added fresh after baking, for brightness against Capers.