The journey of a caper begins long before it reaches the plate — deep in the rocky soils and coastal hills of the Mediterranean. These small but powerful buds undergo a remarkable transformation, from fragile blossoms to one of the world's most flavourful ingredients.
The plant: Capparis spinosa
Capers are the unopened flower buds of Capparis spinosa, a hardy perennial that thrives on sun-baked, rocky Mediterranean hillsides where little else grows. Across the Aegean and Mediterranean coast of Türkiye, the bushes need little water and no rich soil.
Handpicking, by size
Through the summer the bushes are harvested by hand, every few days, bud by bud. Pickers gather the buds before they open, and the smallest, tightest buds are the most prized. After harvest the buds are sorted and graded by diameter, from tiny Lilliput (3–5 mm) up to the bold Horse (12+ mm).
Curing in natural brine
Fresh caper buds are intensely bitter and inedible raw. Curing in natural brine draws out that bitterness and develops the bright, tangy, floral flavour capers are loved for, while preserving them for years. The result is a stable, long-shelf-life ingredient that needs no cold chain.
Capers Turkey, a Tuna Sourcing division, supplies wholesale Mediterranean capers — handpicked in Türkiye and naturally brined, graded by size. Request a quote or browse the grades.