Native to Western India, pepper (Piper nigrum) has been traded across the world since the fifth century B.C. In Ancient Greece two types of pepper were used, black pepper and long pepper. At the time of the Roman Empire, pepper became a common article of trade. A customs tax was even imposed on long and white pepper by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius, while black pepper was exempted!

The importance of this spice as a seasoning made peppercorns very expensive and they were even accepted as coins in the Middle Ages. In the 13th century, the pepper trade was flourishing in Europe, making the republics of Venice and Genoa wealthy and opulent. By 1500 Portugal had gained control of this trade, later dominated by the Dutch thanks to their voyages to Java, where pepper was probably taken by early Hindu traders. In the 18th century the USA entered the Far Eastern spice trade, and went on to play an important role. A century later the British established pepper plantations in Malaysia and Sarawak that also developed into major producers.