[2][3] Padrón peppers are small, about 2 inches (5 cm) long and have an elongated shape.

This property has given rise to the popular Galician aphorism "Os pementos de Padrón, uns pican e outros non" ("Padrón peppers, some are hot, some are not").

[4][5] Drought-stressed plants tend to produce hotter peppers.

[16][17] Removing the stems is recommended by major Galician pepper producers and the head of the Galician tourism association on the grounds that they cause bitterness in fried peppers.

[17] Fried Padrón peppers are typically served hot with a dusting of coarse salt, sometimes accompanied by chunks of bread, as tapas.