Caperberries Cucunci in Sea Salt - La Nicchia - Pantelleria Island, Sicily - 1.1 lb

Caperberries are the fruit of the caper plant, and have a complex flavor - lemony, floral and briny. A lovely deep green color, they also have an amazing mouthfeel, dense and crisp. They are packed in Trapani sea salt, so just rinse the salt off in a strainer and pat dry when you're ready to use them. Caperberries are delicious on their own, but if they are still too salty, soak them overnight and use them to add flavorful crunch to salads, grilled meat and fish, and rustic pasta sauces. They make a great savory accompaniment to salumi and cheeses - or a perfect garnish for your favorite cocktail - for a truly Mediterranean aperitivo spread. La Nicchia caperberries - called cucunci in Sicilian dialect - are hand-picked on Pantelleria, a tiny volcanic island between Sicilia and Tunisia, the same way they have been for centuries. The fruit of the caper plant grows after the plant has bloomed its beautiful white flowers. Once picked, the caperberries are preserved in Trapani sea salt, which allows them to maintain their fragrance and texture for years. The whole process is done entirely by hand, including the packing of the caperberries in jars and bags. Caper plants grow abundantly in many areas of the Mediterranean, but Pantelleria capers are unique for several reasons. The island grows a rare variety called spinosa nocellara harvested and processed following the traditions of generations of islanders whose livelihoods have depended on the production. According to Gabriele Lasagni of La Nicchia, the island's volcanic soil gives the capers their delicate flavor, and the temperature fluctuation between hot days and cool nights gives them their strong fragrance. Since its founding, the company has expanded beyond capers to a full line of products using local crops, including caperberries, oranges, lemons, olives, and Zibibbo raisins. La Nicchia strives to present the best of what the land has to offer, crafted in the simplest way possible.

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