Black Pepper is produced from the green unripe berries of the Pepper plant (Piper nigrum Linn), and is the resultant dried whole fruit. Sri Lankan Black Pepper has a high Piperine content (the alkaloid responsible for the pungency of Black Pepper), and is widely used as a " hot" cooking spice and seasoning. Extracts of black pepper (piperine, oleoresin and essential oil) are also extracted from whole berries, and have uses as both spice and flavoring agents in the food industry, and also industrial uses in perfumery and the pharmaceutical industries.

White pepper is produced by removing the outer pericarp of high density berries. Both black and white pepper are available in both whole and powder forms.