The spiciness of black pepper is due to the chemical piperine, not to be confused with the capsaicin that gives fleshy peppers theirs. It is ubiquitous in the modern world as a seasoning, and is often paired with salt. They should be stored in a dark, dry, and cool environment inside an air-tight container.

Black pepper is a valuable additive to your tea as you can extract the antioxidant properties in the leaves and peppercorns.