On the volcanic island of Pantelleria, where caper plants cling to stone walls and sea breezes bring the scent of salt, there is a farm that turns buds into poetry.

  Founded in 1949, La Nicchia remains the island’s only integrated farm, processing plant and artisanal laboratory. Its mission is both humble and radical: preserve the agricultural heritage of Pantelleria and celebrate the tiny, firm caper buds and fleshy cucunci (caper berries) that have fed locals for centuries.

The caper plant (Capparis spinosa) thrives in Pantelleria’s arid soils

Harvest begins in May and continues until September; buds are plucked every few days before they bloom, then cured in sea salt. La Nicchia’s capers undergo a two‑stage salting—ten days at 40 % salt followed by ten days at 20 %—with regular stirring and draining. The result is a dense, meaty texture and a delicate floral flavour that has earned IGP certification. Larger cucunci, harvested in July and August, are cured in coarse salt and served as antipasti or with cold cuts.

What makes La Nicchia special is the way it honours every part of the plant. Capers are desalted and preserved in extra‑virgin olive oil, ready to stir into a pan sauce. Tender leaves, hand‑picked in September, are packed in olive oil or sea salt; they add a lemony crunch to salads and grilled fish. Young shoots are preserved for gourmet dishes, and berries are dried and ground into a spice to sprinkle like pepper. For something indulgent, there’s a caper and black‑olive spread that contains thirty per cent capers, twenty‑nine per cent olives and a splash of olive oil, a trinity that makes crostini sing!