What small green peppers from Galicia are known for being mostly mild but occasionally spicy?

What small green peppers from Galicia are known for being mostly mild but occasionally spicy? The answer is Pimientos de Padrón.

Pimientos de Padrón are small green peppers from Galicia in northwestern Spain, especially associated with the municipality of Padrón and the parish of Herbón. They are usually harvested while still unripe, when they are about 5 centimetres long, then fried in olive oil and finished with coarse salt.

Their famous culinary surprise is captured by the Galician saying “Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non”: some are hot and some are not. Most peppers are mild, but growing conditions can affect pungency. Drought-stressed plants tend to produce hotter fruit, and peppers generally become spicier as they mature and turn red.

Padrón peppers are not the same as ñoras, guindillas, or piquillo peppers. Those are distinct Spanish pepper types with different shapes, flavours, and typical uses. The name Pemento de Herbón has held European Union protected-designation status since 2010, though similar peppers are now cultivated beyond Galicia.