FOOD NEWS
The Main Difference Between Capers and Caper Berries
BY SYLVIA TOMCZAK
Although capers and caper berries have similar names and come from the same plant, the two are not interchangeable and have stark differences in appearance and flavor.
Capers and caper berries come from Capparis spinosa, a prickly bush that grows mainly in Asia and the Mediterranean, and the plant is closely related to the mustard family.
Both capers and caper berries have a salty, almost lemony tang with herbal and floral undertones, but capers have a much stronger flavor while caper berries are more subtle.
Capers are harvested early on as flower buds, hence their tiny size. However, caper berries are left to grow longer and are harvested after the buds blossom into fruits.
Both of these caper products are usually packed and sold in salt or in jars of brine, and both have potentially anti-inflammatory, antifungal, and anticarcinogenic properties.