About this species. Black pepper fruits are the source of one of the world's most widely and frequently used spices. Black, white and green peppercorns all come from Piper nigrum and are popularly used as a hot and pungent spice for flavouring food.ichuan pepper, a common spice used in Asian cuisine, is obtained from Zanthoxylum species (citrus family, Rutaceae). Peppercorns should not be confused with chilli peppers (Capsicum species) such as Capsicum annuum (potato family, Solanaceae). The fruits of Piper nigrum are used to make black pepper.