Where does pepper come from? All about the spice, plus a delicious pepper crab recipe

South China Morning Post

20-06-2025

Of all the spices, pepper is probably the most ubiquitous.
Green peppercorns, white peppercorns and black peppercorns come from the same plant – the Piper nigrum vine. The stage at which they are picked and how they are processed determines the colour.
The green peppercorn is the unripe fruit and it can be used fresh, dried or pickled. It is aromatic and hot, but not as strong as black or white peppercorns.
Black peppercorns are also unripe, but the fruit has been processed, fermented and dried in a way that develops the flavour – making it more pungent than the green variety – and turns the exterior black and wrinkled.
Green peppercorns are the unripe fruit of the Piper nigrum vine. Photo: Shutterstock
White peppercorns are made from the fully ripe fruit, which is processed and the exterior removed, leaving only the white core. White pepper is the strongest and hottest of the three, and a little goes a long way. It is used in pale sauces, where the dark specks from ground black pepper would be unsightly.
The Piper nigrum vine can also yield red peppercorns – which should not be mistaken for pink peppercorns as those come from a different plant – but these are very rare.