The caper is a small branched shrub whose buds, called capers, and more rarely the fruits, known as cucunces, are consumed. Both are preserved in oil, in vinegar or in salt. Capers have been used in gastronomy for millennia: they are usually used to flavor dishes and go well with a wide variety of foods, from meat, to fish, to pasta. The cucuncio, also called cocuncio or capperone, is traditionally used in Aeolian cuisine to season fish dishes. Aeolians also use to desalinate cucunces or capers and consume them like any vegetable, usually in salads.