Black peppercorns are grown in a variety of locales and the environmental conditions in these areas lend different flavor notes for acidity, sweetness, and citrus. Vietnamese peppercorns have an intense aroma but a more mellow taste, with flavor notes of smoke or wood and medium heat. Quality black peppercorns are uniform in color, with darker berries being more flavorful. The natural mate to salt, whole peppercorns offer a pungency to everything from salads to steak and they're a perfect ingredient to add a bite to brines for pickling or corning proteins like beef for pastrami or corned beef.