What are Capers?
Capers are the un-ripened flower buds of Capparis spinosa, a prickly, perennial plant.
Capers probably originated from dry regions in west or central Asia. Known and used for millennia, capers were mentioned by Dioscorides as being a marketable product of the ancient Greeks. Capers are also mentioned by the Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder.The relationship between capers and human beings can be traced back to the stone age.
Remains of C. spinosa were unearthed in archaeological sites as early as the lower Mesolithic. (Cultural period between paleolithic and Neolithic)
After the buds are harvested and dried, the pungent, almost peppery, lemony taste… is brought out by the pickling process in vinegar, brine, salt or wine.
Being a desert plant, the caper bush needs very little water or nutrients.
The earliest known mention of the caper bush is in a Sumerian epic of 2000 BC. … Besides its value as food and medicine, the plant is highly ornamental .