Regional products
Alcaparra mallorquina: capers from Felanitx
The caper bush grows wild on dry-stone walls and field edges around Felanitx – its unopened flower buds are one of the island’s most inconspicuous but longest-lasting specialities.
Quick answer
Alcaparra mallorquina: capers from Felanitx
The alcaparra mallorquina is the flower bud of the caper bush, pickled in brine after the summer harvest. In 2015 it was added to the Balearic catalogue of traditional foods; Felanitx is considered the best-known growing area.
Harvest and processing
The closed flower buds are picked by hand, mostly in the summer months and in several rounds, as the bush keeps forming new buds. The smaller the bud, the finer the produce is considered to be.
After the harvest, the capers are pickled in salt or brine, sometimes with vinegar. Only this process develops the typical, slightly pungent flavour.
Recognition and status
In 2015 the Mallorcan caper was added to the Catálogo de Alimentos Tradicionales de las Illes Balears. This is Balearic recognition as a traditional food – not an EU-protected D.O.P. or I.G.P.
If you are looking for genuine island produce, look for the producer’s details of origin rather than an EU seal.
Use and buying
In island cooking, capers season fish dishes, salads such as trempó and sauces. Besides the buds, the larger caper berries (tàperes) are also sold pickled.
The best places to buy them are the weekly market in Felanitx and farm shops and delicatessens in the east of the island.
Practical tips
- Jars in brine count as liquid – put them in checked baggage and pad them well.
- Small buds are considered finer quality than large ones.
- Look for the producer’s details of origin; there is no EU seal for capers.
- Briefly soak salt-pickled capers in water before use.
Good to know
Price ranges, opening hours and airline rules change. We only give verifiable features and rough orders of magnitude – check details directly with the seller or your airline before buying or flying.
Product knowledge
The specialities on this topic
Oil & salt Traditional East / Felanitx
Alcaparra mallorquina
Mallorcan capers
Capers pickled in brine – Felanitx is considered the centre of cultivation.
- Ingredients
- Caper buds, salt, water, sometimes vinegar
- Diet
- vegan · gluten-free
- Price range
- Jar in the low single-digit to low double-digit range
- Buy
- Felanitx weekly market, farm shops in the east of the island
- Flight
- Jars in brine count as liquid – put them in checked baggage and pad them well.
Last checked: September 2026
Price ranges, opening hours and airline rules change. We only give verifiable features and rough orders of magnitude – check details directly with the seller or your airline before buying or flying.
| Product | Hand luggage | Suitcase | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alcaparra mallorquina | no | yes | Jars in brine count as liquid – put them in checked baggage and pad them well. |
Frequently asked questions
Do Mallorcan capers have a protected designation of origin?
No. Since 2015 they have been listed in the Balearic catalogue of traditional foods, which is not an EU-protected D.O.P. or I.G.P.
Where can you buy capers from Felanitx?
At the weekly market in Felanitx and in farm shops and delicatessens in the east of the island.
What is the difference between capers and caper berries?
Capers are the closed flower buds; caper berries (tàperes) are the larger fruits that develop after flowering.
More topics
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Olive oil
On centuries-old gnarled olive trees on the terraces of the Tramuntana, the olives ripen for one of the best olive oils in the world. Find out all about the protected D.O. Oli de Mallorca.
-
Trempó
Three ingredients, olive oil, salt – done. Trempó depends on tomatoes and peppers being ripe and full of flavour in high summer, and on the island it accompanies practically everything from grilled fish to coca.
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Delicacies at weekly markets
Every weekday, some village on Mallorca has its market day – if you know where to go, you will find sobrasada, cheese and vegetables straight from the producer instead of off the supermarket shelf.
Related
- Felanitx Market town in the east with caper growing
- The island’s weekly markets Market stalls with pickled products
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