What are Capers and what on earth do the taste like......
Posted by cebsie on Mar 18, 2008 · Member since Mar 2008 · 7 posts
Okay so I want to make this recipe for vegan cesar salad, and it calls for capers. I have never had capers, only heard of them a handful of times and new foods scare me. Can someone tell me a bit about them so that I wont be afraid. I have found a bit online, but I want to hear from real people, real veg*ns.
they come from a mediterranean bush, and the taste is hard to describe. I'm not a big fan of them. They are kind of exspensive and don't really add much to a recipe....in my opinion, of course
Be careful to get capers that are pickled with vinegar or lemon, as the ones in salt water are just nasty! You can sub pickled nasturtium buds if available, maybe at an Asian or Hispanic market. If they are BIG, they are nasturtium buds anyway. Real capers are very small, like several in a tablespoon.
The Spanish name (in case it helps) is "alcaparra" and the big ones are "alcaparrón".
They are probably a sub for anchovies in the Caesar salad dressing. Never used them myself but maybe you could sub green olives to give it that briney tang?
I love capers. I like to sprinkle them liberally on my pizza for added tangy deliciousness. I've also used them in a sort of faux tartar sauce over a fishy fried tempeh. And in salads of all sorts. I agree with Kikola that they are most certainly in that recipe as a sub for anchovies. I can buy them for 1-2 dollars a jar, but they never last long! They're like very tart little berries, sort of.
Thanks so much everyone for the replies. I will definitely try to find them. Yeah it said its to replace the salty briney flavor in the dressing. I will try some with capers and see how i like it. I was a huge fan of the salty, briney stuff in my omni days.
They definitely are very briney and salty little flower buds. My family really enjoys them, my kids will eat them alone! I like them in pasta sauce. I think they'd be good in dressings.
I love them too. They are also a staple in any kind of piccata sauce. A small spoonful goes a long way. They also sell them dry packed in salt, but those are more expensive. Whatever kind you get, be sure to rinse them before adding them to your dish.