Tiny pickled flower buds are 100 times punchier than pepper

While they look like small green berries, capers are actually the unripened flower buds of the Capparis spinosa plant, a shrub that has thrived in Mediterranean heat since 6000 BC. In their raw state, they are bitter and inedible. The transformation happens during a long soak in brine or salt, which breaks down plant compounds into pungent mustard oils. This chemical reaction creates a flavor profile 100 times more intense than black pepper.