Web Exclusive: Pantelleria Capers

The world’s best capers come from the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, and their flavor will surprise North Americans who know only pickled green buds found in jars filled with vinegar. Most of those sold here come from North Africa, where the large amounts of labor needed to harvest and prepare them cost less than they do in Italy. Although the Pantelleria caper industry took a beating from cheap imports, it recently rebounded as the popularity of Italian cooking around the world created demand for the country’s finest produce. Pantellerian capers are the only ones in Italy to have an I.G.P., or a protected geographic designation.

On Pantelleria, the caper plants grow on hillside terraces with the rich volcanic soil that gives them their signature taste, which is very subtle and sweet. The caper-growing season runs from May to the beginning of September, and the capers, which are buds, have to be harvested regularly by hand before they flower. (The much larger and seed-filled caper berry is the fruit that the caper plant produces after flowering.)

After the caper buds are picked, they’re sorted according to size — small capers are considered to be of higher quality than larger ones, since their flavor and texture are better — then mixed with sea salt and allowed to ferment for around three weeks. Italian capers are usually sold salted in jars, but you can rinse them, depending on the recipe.

There are caper farms all over Pantelleria, but the place to see them processed is at the Bonomo e Giglio capperificio, which belongs to La Nicchia, Pantelleria’s best producer of indigenous food products. The company makes a superb caper sauce (capers, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovies, basil, oregano, olive oil), which is delicious on pasta and bruschetta.