Spicy World Black Peppercorns Whole 7 Ounce - Perfect for Grinder In the Middle Ages, Peppercorns were used as currency in some places and was considered as valuable as gold. For centuries, black pepper has been used for medicinal purposes and many believe spices in general are excellent for health and digestion. Peppercorns are actually fruit! Black pepper is a vine from the Piperaceae family and peppercorns are the vines fruit that have been dried for use. These vines can grow up to 13 feet tall.