Where does black pepper come from?

Peppercorns are the fruit of a flowering vine that grows in hot, humid climates. Black pepper is made by picking unripe green berries and drying them until the skin turns black and wrinkled. White pepper comes from the same berries with the outer layer removed. Pepper was so valuable in ancient and medieval times that it was called 'black gold' and was sometimes used as currency. Today Vietnam is the world's largest producer and exporter of black pepper, followed by countries such as Brazil, Indonesia and India.