Peppercorns are actually a tiny fruit, the drupe (a fruit with a single seed in the middle) of a flowering vine known as piper nigrum, grown in tropical regions, native to the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia. Some of the best peppercorns in the world come from the Malabar coast in the Indian state of Kerala.The color of the various peppercorns you see in the store are a result of either when the tiny fruits are harvested, or else the type of processing they undergo after picking. Piper nigrum. Photo by Vengolis.ome of the best peppercorns in the world come from the Malabar coast in the Indian state of Kerala. The color of the various peppercorns you see in the store are a result of either when the tiny fruits are harvested, or else the type of processing they undergo after picking.