Black pepper is the king of spices as it is the world’s most traded spice. In ancient Roman times, pepper berries were once used as monetary currency. Black pepper is the unripe fruit of a climbing vine native to India. The fruit picked while still green, is cooked briefly and the dried. While drying, the berry denatures and blackens, giving us whole black peppercorns we are familiar with. Black pepper is commonly used in pickling and marinades where they are given time for the flavor to be extracted. Alternatively, they can be grinded to give an immediate release of flavor. It is essential to cuisines around the world for its citrusy, woody, and floral notes. The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine, not to be confused with the capsaicin. White and green peppercorns originate from the same berry, whereas pink peppercorns are not from the same tree native to India, but instead from South America. Above all, black peppercorn offers the most complex and pungent aromas, distinctive from other peppercorns and ground pepper seasonings. See less