Pepper, in most kitchens, means the ground or cracked spice made from dried peppercorns, the berries of the vine Piper nigrum. It's native to South Asia's Malabar Coast and today is grown mainly in India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Brazil. Its heat and bite come from piperine, and the color of the corn it's made from changes the flavor: black pepper (fully mature berries, dried whole) is the boldest and most common, white pepper (ripe berries with the skin removed) is milder and used where dark specks aren't wanted, and green pepper (picked unripe) is fresher and grassier. It's used across nearly every cuisine, from Indian curries to French pepper sauces, and is one of the few spices assumed to be on hand in any kitchen, alongside salt. See peppercorn for the whole dried berry itself, as distinct from the ground spice.