Black pepper  is a flowering vine in the family Piperaceae, cultivated for its fruit, known as a peppercorn, which is usually dried and used as a spice and seasoning. Black pepper is produced from the still-green, unripe drupe of the pepper plant. The drupes are cooked briefly in hot water, both to clean them and to prepare them for drying. It’s made by grinding peppercorns, which are dried berries from the vine Piper nigrum.It has a sharp and mildly spicy flavor that goes well with many dishes. Black pepper is rich in a plant compound called piperine, which test-tube studies have found to have potent antioxidant properties.