WEBVTT - How Do Tiny Capers Pack Such a Big Flavor Punch?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeartRadio, Hey brain

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<v Speaker 1>Stuff Lauren Vogel Bomb here. They may be small, but

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<v Speaker 1>capers path a big punch when it comes to flavor. Capers,

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<v Speaker 1>which are commonly found in Mediterranean dishes, are actually just

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<v Speaker 1>immature flower buds that are pickled or preserved in salt.

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<v Speaker 1>The buds can add a sharp burst of flavor, a bitter, peppery, floral,

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<v Speaker 1>lemony tang to everything from salads and smoked salmon to

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<v Speaker 1>pasta and chicken pecada. They may be the cherry on

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<v Speaker 1>top of classic Mediterranean dishes, but preserved capers need a

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<v Speaker 1>little care and know how to use well. Today, let's

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<v Speaker 1>talk about how to cook with capers at home, plus

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<v Speaker 1>a little science and history on this tiny flavorful flower bud. Okay.

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<v Speaker 1>Capers are yes immature flower buds of the caper bush

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<v Speaker 1>uncle named Caparus spinosa. This is a scrambly, thorny sort

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<v Speaker 1>of evergreen shrub that only grows about three feet or

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<v Speaker 1>a meter tall, but spreads out a lot. It's a

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<v Speaker 1>rocky cliff crevice sort of shrub and commonly grows along

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<v Speaker 1>the Mediterranean Sea and in other temperate seaside climates. Straight

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<v Speaker 1>through Central Asia. If you let caper buds bloom and

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<v Speaker 1>grow fruit, they'll develop what's called caper berry. These are

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<v Speaker 1>also picked early, when they're green and unripe and about

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<v Speaker 1>the size of an olive. They taste less peppery than

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<v Speaker 1>capers and are also often pickled. The scientists aren't sure

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<v Speaker 1>where capers originated, possibly West Asia, but there's archaeological evidence

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<v Speaker 1>that people might have been eating capers as long as

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<v Speaker 1>seventeen thousand years ago in what's now Egypt. There's also

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<v Speaker 1>evidence from five thousand, eight hundred BCE in Mesopotamia and

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<v Speaker 1>two thousand, eight hundred BCE in ancient China. They're in

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<v Speaker 1>the Caparassier family, which means their cousins to the brassicasier plants.

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<v Speaker 1>You know, mustards, turnips, broccoli, stuff like that. That's why

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<v Speaker 1>these foods all share a bit of a peppery kick.

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<v Speaker 1>Ancient Greek physician and botanist Diascorides and ancient Roman scholar

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<v Speaker 1>Pliny the Elder both made note of caper products in

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<v Speaker 1>their records. Like us, both Greeks and Romans used capers

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<v Speaker 1>as a condiment on all kinds of savory dishes. Caper

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<v Speaker 1>buds are harvested when they're wee green nubs that haven't

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<v Speaker 1>bloomed yet, about the size of a pea fresh off

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<v Speaker 1>the plant. Capers are super bitter and don't last very long,

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<v Speaker 1>so to preserve them and mellow them out a bit,

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<v Speaker 1>they're usually salted, either dry or in a wet brine

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<v Speaker 1>that is pickled. When pickled, that'll add to their flavor

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<v Speaker 1>a heavy punch of saltiness and sourness from whatever combination

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<v Speaker 1>of brine, wine, and or vinegar used. When packed dry

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<v Speaker 1>in salt, you wind up with a less tag product

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<v Speaker 1>that allows more floral notes to come through. For the article,

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<v Speaker 1>this episode is based on How Stuff Works. Spoke via

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<v Speaker 1>email with Natalie Dom, a Michigan based chef. She suggests

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<v Speaker 1>a quick and easy protocol for unpacking and preparing capers

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<v Speaker 1>before cooking with them. Quote. If you're using capers from

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<v Speaker 1>a brine, you can just drain them and add them

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<v Speaker 1>to a dish as is. If you're using dry salted capers,

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<v Speaker 1>they need to be soaked and rinsed a couple of times,

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<v Speaker 1>otherwise the salt is overpowering. Dom explained that she uses

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<v Speaker 1>capers most frequently in sauces, dressings, and salads. She said,

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<v Speaker 1>I love the saltiness from their brine and almost a

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<v Speaker 1>little acidity that they bring to dishes. They add a

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<v Speaker 1>sort of brightness to dishes. They compliment lemon and even

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<v Speaker 1>sweeter things like golden raisins and dried apricots. As products

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<v Speaker 1>of the Mediterranean, it makes sense that now classic Italian

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<v Speaker 1>or Italian American dishes like pacata putnesca, scallapina al lamone,

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<v Speaker 1>and caesar salad incorporate capers. But other classic caper inclusive

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<v Speaker 1>dishes like smoked salmon spread and beef tartar are obviously

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<v Speaker 1>hits as well, and you can take inspiration from that spectrum.

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<v Speaker 1>Capers are great for cutting rich, fatty flavors and for

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<v Speaker 1>amping up fresh herbal or citrusy flavors too. And by

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<v Speaker 1>the way, they're really good If you pan fry them,

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<v Speaker 1>their petals get all crisp. Just press them dry first. However,

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<v Speaker 1>you use capers, go easy on them, especially if you're

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<v Speaker 1>cooking with them for the first time. A little goes

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<v Speaker 1>a long way. Capers and their brine can both easily

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<v Speaker 1>overwhelm delicate dishes. Some recipes even call for rinsing brined

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<v Speaker 1>capers to soften that bite. And however you use them,

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<v Speaker 1>you probably want to add them towards the end of

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<v Speaker 1>cooking so that they maintain their texture and don't lose

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<v Speaker 1>too much of their flavor bomb flare to the rest

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<v Speaker 1>of the sauce. Even if you enjoy going overboard on capers,

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<v Speaker 1>you probably aren't eating enough to have a real nutritional impact. However,

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<v Speaker 1>they do pack in a lot of flavor for very

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<v Speaker 1>few calories, and they contain a little fiber and a

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<v Speaker 1>great spread of micronutrients. You know, your vitamins and minerals,

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<v Speaker 1>compounds that can work as antioxidants in your body. Stuff

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<v Speaker 1>like that. Capers and their extracts are currently being investigated

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<v Speaker 1>for potential heart and brain positive effects. Though nutrition is

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<v Speaker 1>really complicated and we don't understand how it works very well,

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<v Speaker 1>so don't start popping them like tic tax for your health. Also,

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<v Speaker 1>they can contain a lot of sodium from being preserved

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<v Speaker 1>in salt, so watch out for that if that's a

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<v Speaker 1>thing that you watch out for. Capers are also currently

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<v Speaker 1>an investigation for another use as an erosion preventor and

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<v Speaker 1>food source in areas experiencing drought due to climate change.

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<v Speaker 1>Because the shrubs are hardy and scrambling. Their roots help

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<v Speaker 1>lock in soil and can keep growing when other plants can't.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's episode is based on the article Tiny Capers Paca,

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<v Speaker 1>Big Flavorful Punch on HowStuffWorks dot Com, written by Stephanie Vermillion.

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<v Speaker 1>Brain Stuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership with how

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<v Speaker 1>Stuffworks dot Com and is produced by Tyler Klang. Four

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<v Speaker 1>more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app,

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<v Speaker 1>Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.