Turned out I preferred “classic” black peppercorns to the long kind. Considerably.
I also realised that whilst I don’t mind black pepper with strawberries, if I am going to zhuzh up strawberries I generally prefer them with a good balsamic vinegar.

The foods I really have enjoyed where black pepper is the dominant flavour have been this tofu recipe (which uses an obscene amount and yet is somehow “balanced”)
https://ottolenghi.co.uk/recipes/black-pepper-tofu-a#

Also got unexpectedly seduced into enjoying it on popcorn by Tokyo Disney Sea.

Went to a farmer’s market in Tokyo and was introduced to Vietnamese black pepper by a vendor with relationships with smallholder farmers there. Wish I’d bought more at the time. When I can, I usually buy the Sarawak kind. Am currently going through a batch of Wayanad peppercorns; good but haven’t been wowed by them.