Pimientos de Padrón

Species: Capsicum annuum | Origin: Spain | Pungency: Mild

Pimientos de Padrón, also known as 'Padrón peppers' and 'Herbón peppers', is a much-loved pepper variety from the municipality of Padrón in the province of A Coruña, Galicia, Northwestern Spain, where they are grown along the banks of the River Ulla and one of its tributaries the River Sar. Originally from Mexico, Padrón peppers are also grown commercially in various other places in Southern Spain and in other Mediterranean countries and the United States. The peppers start green and ripen through orange and then to bright red. However, they are not typically used for spicing up foods as with most other chilli varieties, but instead are eaten as a tasty green vegetable. They are usually very mild or even heat-free, but they become spicier the longer they're left on the plant to mature.

Padrón peppers are a popular tapas dish all over Spain and are customarily flash fried in olive oil until the skin blisters and the pepper collapses. They are then sprinkled with a dusting of fine sea salt before being served as a tasty snack. Although Padrón peppers are typically very mild, it's estimated that approximately 10–25 percent of them can be very spicy, which makes the experience of eating them a kind of culinary Russian roulette. Padrón peppers purchased from a supermarket are typically heat-free, but when grown at home they tend to contain a small amount of heat. This is most likely due to the length of time they're left on the plants before being harvested. The only way to know if a Padrón pepper is spicy or not is to taste it! Aside from being a popular tapas dish, Padrón peppers also work very well in salsas, stir fries, stews, casseroles and chili con carne.

Page published on: 23rd September 2019