Pepper from Malabar has always been very important in world history. South India was famous from India to Europe for gold, precious gems, and spices, especially pepper. Pepper was so valuable that it was called 'black gold' in the Roman Empire. Over 2000 years ago, in the time of Julius Caesar, the Roman Empire was one of the most powerful empires in the world. The Romans loved the spice and bought it from here, in Southern India. They paid for it in gold, which is why the spice was also called Black Gold. Many Romans complained that most of their money was being spent on this Indian spice.