Black pepper comes from a climbing vine, the fruits of which - small round berries - ripen from green to red and finally to brown. Black peppercorns are actually berries that are picked when they're just turning red. They're then dried whole before being sold. Peppercorns can be green, white or black, depending on when they're harvested.

Peppercorns can be used whole, or crushed or ground to add heat and flavour to cooking. Used whole, they can be added loose to stews and soups or used as part of a bouquet garni. 

You'll often find whole peppercorns spicing up salamis or sausages. Freshly ground or crushed black pepper adds a flavour of its own to dishes, as well as enhancing the taste of other ingredients. Lightly crushed or cracked peppercorns can be used to spice up creamy sauces or to coat fillet steaks or chicken breasts. The light crushing releases the fragrant spiciness; using ground pepper in this way would just release too much heat. 

Try grinding fresh black pepper over a bowl of strawberries and see how it enhances the flavour of the fruit, releasing a very subtle pepper flavour. Country of Origin: Madagascar