Hebrew: צַלָּף, tsalaf
Family: Capparaceae
Scientific name: Capparis spinose
The Egyptian caper is a spiny perennial plant whose above-ground segments mostly dry out and wither in the winter. In the spring, it sends out new shoots from its roots, as well as from its thick, short stem. The flowering period is long, sometimes lasting up to six months, during which both flower buds and ripe fruit can be found on the same plant. The plant requires very little soil to thrive, growing even in rock crevices and between stone walls, making it extremely difficult to remove. The plant does not bloom all at once; instead, a few flowers open each day in a sequence from the base of the branch, so the ripening process is uneven. This characteristic led to a statement by Rabban Gamliel, who predicted that, in the future, trees would produce fruit every day. Both the flower buds, called kafrisin in the Talmud and Tosefta, and the caper fruits, evyonot, are edible. Even the young tips of the branches—in Hebrew temarot and lulavim—are also consumed.
The caper is mentioned in the Talmud both by name and as natzpa. It is possible that natzpa refers to a wild species of caper, in contrast to the cultivated variety. The Talmud describes the caper as az ba’ilanot, “the boldest of trees,” likely because it can take root and cling to rock crevices and cracks, where there is little soil. The caper is also mentioned as a spiny plant used for fencing.
Some believe that yein kafrisin—used to steep and intensify the scent of cloves, one of the ketoret ingredients—was prepared from caper fruits, or that the fruits were added to the wine. Today too, pickled flower buds of the caper are eaten.
Orlah & neta revay (waiting three years for fruit & fourth-year trees): The caper is halachically considered a tree, so its fruit is subject to the laws of orlah and neta revay.
Blessing: The blessing for caper fruit is borei peri ha’etz. For all other edible parts of the plant, which are not the reason the plant was grown, the blessing is borei peri ha’adamah or shehakol.
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