The caper bush is a low-maintenance plant that does not like to grow in fields, near cities or in good soil. With something of the briny taste of the sea, it grows on the rocky slopes of the Santorini caldera and near the dry-stone walls built by farmers to contain soil erosion. The buds and leaves are collected from late June through end-August, stored in jars with brine and used in salads or tangy sauces. In Santorini’s traditional cuisine, they are also used in fava dip, giving it a nice tart flavor, and are served along with crunchy, fried fava balls.

Capers are a rich source of calcium, potassium, magnesium, sodium and zinc, as well as flavonoids. They have been considered to have healing powers since antiquity. Also a mild diuretic, they are used to combat water retention and, possibly because of their anti-inflammatory properties, as a painkiller. The plant is also attributed with antioxidant qualities.