SLOW FOOD CAPER FESTIVAL Visiting Salina, the Italian island used as a setting for Il Postino, for a celebration of the caper.

Every year during the first weekend of June the tiny Sicilian island of Salina plays host to a gastronomic gathering in honour of the humble caper. A whole festival dedicated to a pizza topping may sound rather eccentric to us in England, but for the Italian ‘Slow Food’ enthusiasts the wild caper symbolises all that they most cherish in quality food – it’s organic, it’s a local speciality, and it’s best eaten in season and enjoyed in situ. The pilgrimage of one and half hours by boat from mainland Sicily adds to the appeal for the slow foodies and the fact that Salina produces the best in the world clinches the excuse for a caper celebration.

Naturally the ‘Slow Food’ festivities cannot be hurried so for three days leading up to the main event – the Festa del cappero in fiore (caper flower party) there are wine tastings, degustazione dinners and even a boat tour around the island in pursuit of other locally produced goodies. Each of these food events are open to visitors and provide the perfect way to get an authentic and concentrated taste of the greenest of the Aeolian Islands.

The Fixers

Although it is possible to make your own way to the food festival, the travel and villa specialists, Think Sicily offer a smoother and more rewarding trip. They can find you a room at the best small hotel on the island (Hotel Signum), book a local driver, give you advice about the complex ferry arrangements and introduce you to a knowledgeable local guide. Their bespoke service is very flexible and adventurous, so if after all the feasting you want to add on a tour of the archipelago by helicopter or an trip upthe nearby volcano Stromboli they can arrange it.

The Guide

A little local knowledge on Salina certainly goes a long way. I teamed up with an independent English-speaking guide, Ros Belford who lives on the island with her two daughters. Her food expertise helped me find the freshest granitas on Salina (made from ripe figs) while at the food fair she pointed out the best stalls to enjoy and the worst wine to avoid. She translated all my cooking queries and helped me share recipes with the Italian foodies. As we hiked around the island she showed me wild caper flowers, explained the difference between the berries and fruits and helped me discover that local salt is the perfect preservative for the edible flower buds. This invaluable assistance and her friendly introductions to her fellow islanders made me feel much more of a participant than an observer at the Festa del cappero in fiore.

The Location

The food events take place all over the island ranging from the lovely Lingua in the South East (granitas and pane cunsatus) to the remote port of Rinella squeezed between two extinct volcanoes in the South (sweet wine and olive oil) The weekend culminates on Sunday night with a boisterous evening party in the piazza of Pollara - a normally sleepy town at the bottom of series of hairpin bends in the North west of the island. It’s one of the most beautiful places on Salina positioned just above dramatic white ash cliffs with clear views across Pollara Bay to smoldering Stromboli. Arrive early for to enjoy the scenery and you will see why it was chosen as the setting for the home of the poet in exile, Pablo Neruda in the award winning film Il Postino.

The Party

After the polite meals and detailed discussions about the importance of the island’s terroir and the inferior quality of the upstart Tunisian capers it’s refreshing to join the anarchic atmosphere of the festival party. The entrance fee of five euros includes a paper plate and a plastic glass and is jolly good value if you are prepared to join the scrums around the food stalls. Most of the island turns up to pile their plates with fresh pizza and local pastries and as they rush from one feeding frenzy to the next the party begins to feel like an episode of ‘It’s a Knockout’ where everyone’s a winner. The live band bang out Italian classics, the rough red wine flows from huge barrels and extra pasta supplies are ferried through the crowd on the back of three wheeled scooters. Amongst all the partying and playfulness it is difficult too get too precious about what you’re eating and the whole event seems a million miles from the pretentious world of food snobbery.

The Bespoke Bonuses

Besides the ubiquitous capers there are plenty of other taste treats to enjoy on the island. Carlo Hauner’s Malavasia delle Lipari provides the best version of the island’s delicious dessert wine and Alfredo’ s bar serves fresh fruit granitas that are worth the price of the ferry ticket alone. A trip to the salt lake at Lingua will help you understand how the island acquired it’s name and demonstrates how the perfect combination of caper and salt crystals came about.

THE VERDICT

Four out of five – A great way to eat your way around the island with as much guidance as you require.

The Details

The Salina Isola Slow Food Festival is held annually from Friday morning to Sunday night during the first weekend in June. Accommodation and travel advice arranged through Think Sicily (020 7377 8518, www.thinksicily). During the rest of the year the company offer island-hopping packages that include four nights on Salina and four nights on the Egadi island starting from£450 per person based on two people sharing. Prices for ‘enriching add-ons’ such drivers and guides on request. The independent English guide on Salina Ros Belford can be contacted at rosbelford@aol.com.

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