Wild Caper Plant, Vatican City Walls, 2013
I suppose I never gave much though to where capers came from except to say off the shelf of my local Italian Grocer. In the back of my mind I thought in some way they were related to olives and must be cultivated in the same way. Well, I have certainly been learning a lot on this trip to Rome!
The discoveries that await you in Rome are multi-layered to say the least. On a recent walk around the walls of Vatican City I was amazed to discover that one of my favorite ingredients for cooking, capers, grows willy-nilly in the cracks and crevices of just about every surface in this city. Just look up as you walk pass by a stone wall, under an arch, or as you visit some of the most famous landmarks in the Eternal City. You will undoubtedly see a caper plant. All these wild capers are not looked upon with favor as they wreak havoc on the surfaces in which they grow, however I certainly find them intriguing!
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