The capers we see in the grocery store are the un-ripened green flower buds of the plant. Once they're picked, the immature buds are dried and then preserved. Capers are either cured in salt or pickled in brine, which is what gives capers their trademark savory, briny flavor profile.

Does capers taste like fish?

Capers have a flavor described as lemony, olivey, and salty. Much of the briny, vinegary taste comes from packaging.

Are capers fish?

Capers are sometimes confused with the brined and dried fish called anchovies, since both are harvested from the same regions and are processed similarly. They are actually immature buds plucked from a small bush native to the Middle East and Mediterranean regions of the world.