Black pepper is such a common pantry item these days, it may be hard to believe it was once so valuable that it was used as currency. We take it for granted, but the vast majority of savory recipes include some form of black pepper as an ingredient.

Pepper is ranked the third most added ingredient to recipes, with water and salt leading the race. To get basic ground black pepper, one must beginwith whole peppercorns, not as commonly used nowadays, but definitely a culinary experience extraordinaire.
Peppercorn History

Peppercorns are the seed berries of the Piper nigrum (piper being Latin for plant, and nigrum meaning black) vine, originating on the Malabar coast of India. Peppercorns are not only the oldest used spice, but also the most widely-used. Said to be found more than 4,000 years ago, peppercorns were cultivated as long ago as 1000 B.C.