Black pepper is a spice made from the dried, unripe berries of the Piper nigrum plant, a climbing vine native to India.

How it’s made

1. The berries (called peppercorns) are picked when they are still green.

2. Then they are dried in the sun until they turn black and wrinkled.
   
   

Flavor

Hot
Sharp
Earthy
Pungent

Common uses

Seasoning for almost all savory dishes
Marinades
Soups and sauces
Meat, eggs, vegetables

Forms

Whole peppercorns
Coarsely ground
Fine ground

🕰️ Black Pepper History Timeline

3000–2000 BCE – Early cultivation

Pepper is grown on India’s Malabar Coast (Kerala).
Used in food, medicine, and rituals.

1200 BCE – Egypt

Peppercorns used in mummification (found with Ramses II).

5th–3rd century BCE – Greece

Pepper becomes a prized luxury item in Mediterranean trade.

Used in medicine and feasts.

1st–4th century CE – Roman Empire

Pepper explodes in popularity.
Frequently traded, taxed, and used as currency.
Referred to as “black gold.”

5th–10th century – Early Middle Ages

Arab traders dominate pepper routes from India to the West.
Pepper remains a high-value good in Europe.

11th–15th century – High Middle Ages

Venetian merchants control pepper import.
Pepper is extremely expensive; used as payment, dowry, and gift.

1498 – Age of Exploration

Vasco da Gama reaches India by sea.
European powers race to control the pepper trade.

1600s–1800s – Colonial era

Pepper production and trade shift under Portuguese, Dutch, and British influence.
Cultivation spreads to Southeast Asia.

1900s–today – Global commodity

Pepper becomes widely accessible.
Major producers: Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Brazil, Sri Lanka.
It remains the most popular spice worldwide.