Caper Leaves: Mystery Solved!

The Greek Store in Kenilworth, New Jersey, has the coveted caper leaves! Thanks to my mom for checking with them.

I should have thought of them first. This expansive store on the main street in town carries every imaginable Greek item from olive oils to prepared dishes. In fact, when planning my Greek-themed wedding shower, my mother and friend found everything they needed here. It was a delicious afternoon.

Can’t wait to drive up from D.C. and fill up the trunk!

Greek Caper Leaves

We did our best in Greece to ask locals for restaurant recommendations. A taxi driver recommended “The Dolphins,” a restaurant on – literally right on – the Akrotiri Beach. That’s where we had our first salad of pickled caper leaves. The salty flavor and smooth surface was delicious on that hot day overlooking the beach. It tasted almost exactly like caper berries, except the texture was different. With some bread on the side, it was perfect.

I had never heard of eating caper leaves and imagined they’d be hard to find Stateside. We bought one jar of caper leaves on Santorini and are now afraid to open it. In typical Chloe’ fashion, I’ll probably hoard it until it goes bad. I should have learned the Mediterranean lesson to enjoy life in the moment!

I think they might be even harder to find than I thought. An internet search didn’t find them for sale at particular gourmet markets (Whole Foods, Zingerman’s, Morgan and York, Foodzie, Balducci’s, etc.) or through more general searches.

So, aside from growing capers ourselves and pickling their leaves, does anywhere know where I can find them?