Where Do Peppercorns Come From? The Fascinating Journey To Your Table

A table grinder full of black peppercorns is an easy way to elevate table presentation at dinnertime. These little pellets of flavor look classy in a glass grinder and give a restaurant-style vibe to pretty much any kind of meal. You can elevate anything from heavenly homemade French onion soup to a box of Hamburger Helper with some fresh-ground pepper. But where does this iconic spice come from and what does it go through before it reaches your table?

All peppercorns come from the same plant, the tropical flowering vine known as piper nigrum, including the black, red, white, and green peppercorns. Not everything marketed as peppercorn, however, comes from this flowering vine. Pink peppercorns are actually berries that come from a couple varieties of South American shrub, and Sichuan peppercorns come from the berries of the prickly ash tree in China's Sichuan province.

Though they might not come from the same plant, peppercorns all have a few things in common. They are certainly peppery, but they also add a whole network of complex flavors that can be floral, tangy, herby, and sharp. Knowing the difference in peppercorn varieties and in how peppercorns are grown, harvested, and treated can help you level up your cooking game on all fronts.

Peppercorn vines climb like ivy in the subtropics, wrapping themselves around garden trellises and trees as they become heavy with bright green berries. It's here where peppercorns begin their lives, arranged in delicate bunches beneath waxy leaves and white flowers. Peppercorns are native to India and grown in plenty of tropical regions throughout the world — the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia, and South America to name a few.

Peppercorns turn from bright green to red as they ripen, and harvesting happens throughout the process. Green peppercorns are picked first, while the berries are very much unripe. They are usually freeze-dried and pickled in brine. The next round of harvesting happens just before the berries ripen. The peppercorns that are harvested during this time become black peppercorns; they are dried and the skins become black and wrinkly during the process. White peppercorns are harvested when the peppercorns are fully ripe and the skin is removed to create a clean, white marble of pepper.

Vietnam is currently the world's top peppercorn producer, and the country exports more than 250,000 metric tons of it every year. Other top pepper producers in the world include Brazil, Indonesia, and India, but Vietnam is outpacing them all. So, picture the tropics when you're enjoying the luxury of fresh ground pepper on your dinner — no matter which kind of peppercorn you're using.