Capers: what are they and what can be cooked with them

Anyone who has ever tasted capers can confirm that there is nothing else like them. Capers have a characteristic pickled, tart, and salty flavor.

To understand what capers are, their nutritional benefits, and how to use them, Eat This Not That consulted with Chef Joshua Dalton of Veritas in Columbus, Ohio, and registered dietitian and chef Jessica Swift.

What are capers

"Capers are the bud of a flower that originated in the Mediterranean," Dalton explained. Essentially, when you eat a few of these pea-sized, spicy buds, you are actually eating the premature flowers of the Capparis spinosa plant or caper bush, which produces wild but decorative pink, purple, and white flowers.

The buds are plucked from the plant just before flowering in spring.

Do not confuse capers with caper berries. There is a noticeable difference.

What do capers taste like

Capers add a floral, spicy, and salty flavor to dishes. They are salty because of the way producers process them for long-term storage. "Capers are salted or packed in salt, which is where the flavor comes from."

How to use capers in the kitchen

"You can use them in any kind of seafood preparation or anywhere you want to add salt. They are a great agent for salt in a sauce," says Dalton. "You can sauté them and use them as a garnish for beef carpaccio or use them in dishes like eggplant caviar or as a garnish for fish."

He suggests roasting them until they are crispy before sprinkling them over the dish.

Why capers are good for you

Swift explained that the spicy flavor comes primarily from the salt. More precisely, one tablespoon of capers contains 202 milligrams of sodium, which is about 9 percent of your daily requirement.

Nevertheless, you should get acquainted with capers, because they will be a good accent to any spicy dish!

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