People refer to black pepper as the King of Spices because of its intoxicating, rich aroma and complex flavor. Black pepper owes its distinctive pungent flavor to piperine, which also provides an astonishing anti-inflammatory effect. Piperine inhibits the expression of a gene associated with arthritis and the spread of cancer, MMP13.
Black Pepper originally belongs to South India, it’s grown in other tropical countries as well. It’s played a vital role in history, and has been considered as an important spice from time immemorial. In ancient Greece, it was also used as currency. In later years, it became pivotal in the spice trade across the world. Incidentally Vietnam is considered to be the largest grower and exporter of pepper. India, Brazil, and Indonesia follow suit