A variety of green pepper found in Galicia which is linked to the convent of San Francisco de Herbón, today a parish of Padrón, on the Portuguese Way to Santiago. The Franciscans adapted this cultivation on their return from America in the sixteenth century. The original product was from Chile and was also present in other parts of South America. Peppers of Padrón are small, green and their gastronomic peculiarity is that some of them are spicy (between 10% and 25%) and others are not.

Pimientos Padron - Foto Jessica Spengler

 This is certainly one of the most popular products consumed in Galicia, present on all menus of meals and tapas. There are two aspects which the tourist or pilgrim should know: when to eat them and how to avoid the spicy ones.

The time to eat them is in the summer, so now we are in the season in which the peppers are bland. During the rest of the year you may be offered them but they will usually be peppers that have been deep frozen.

As for the spicy ones, the Galicians usually avoid those with a sharply pointed shape, because it is said that the ones with a rounded tip do not bite. Another trick is the coarse salt, because it is said that the spice sticks to it. Finally, there are also those who think that if the tail of the pepper is too long this would be remarkably spicy.