Capers preserved in dry salt are far better than the ones in vinegar, which taste mainly of vinegar. The ones in salt are more flowery, more like flower buds,which is of course what capers are.
All around the Mediterranean Sea, the caper plant, Capparis spinosa, spreads its long, spiny branches over rocks and opens beautiful white flowers with long purple stamens.
The capers with the best reputation come from the hot, dry volcanic island of Pantelleria, which belongs to Sicily. While the flavor benefits from the climate, the growers credit especially the minerals in Pantelleria’s volcanic soil.