Mole (sauce)
A rich, complex sauce rooted in Mexican tradition, blending chiles, spices, and history.
Last updated
Mole (from Nahuatl mōlli, 'sauce') is a traditional sauce and marinade originally used in Mexican cuisine. In contemporary Mexico, the term is used for numerous sauces, including some fifty distinct varieties across Mexico. Generally, a mole sauce contains fruits, nuts, chili peppers, and spices like black pepper, cinnamon, or cumin. The spelling 'mole', often seen on English-language menus, is a hyperforeignism not used in Spanish, but likely intended to distinguish the sauce from the English word for the animal mole.
Two states, Puebla and Oaxaca, each claim to be the origin of mole, and the best-known varieties are native to these regions, though other areas of Mexico also produce distinct types. A common legend traces its creation to the Convent of Santa Clara in Puebla during the early colonial period. According to the story, nuns, faced with a visit from the archbishop and possessing few ingredients, combined nuts, chili peppers, spices, day-old bread, and a little chocolate to create a sauce for an old turkey. The archbishop was delighted, and when asked the dish's name, a nun replied, "I made a mole," an archaic word for "mix." A similar version credits monk Fray Pascual with the invention, involving spice containers accidentally spilling into cooking pots.
Other accounts substitute the viceroy of New Spain for the archbishop. Modern mole is a mixture of ingredients from North America, Europe, Africa, and Asia, making it one of the first intercontinental dishes in the Americas, though its base is indigenous. Nahuatl speakers had a preparation called mōlli, meaning "chili sauce." In the General History of the Things of New Spain, Bernardino de Sahagún noted that such sauces were used for fish, game, and vegetables. Although modern culinary practices emphasize its versatility, historical evidence indicates that chocolate was added to mole likely in the early 21st century.
Lore & Background
Two states in Mexico claim to be the origin of mole: Puebla and Oaxaca. The best-known moles are native to these two states, but other regions also make various types. A common legend of its creation takes place at the Convent of Santa Clara in Puebla early in the colonial period.
Upon hearing that the archbishop was going to visit, the convent nuns panicked because they were poor and had almost nothing to prepare. They prayed and brought together nuts, chili peppers, spices, day-old bread and a little chocolate. They killed an old turkey, cooked it and put the sauce on top; the archbishop loved it. When one of the nuns was asked the name of the dish, she replied, 'I made a mole.' Mole is an archaic word for 'mix'; now, this word mostly refers to the dish and is rarely used to signify other kinds of mixes in Spanish.
A similar version says monk Fray Pascual invented the dish, again to serve the archbishop of Puebla. In this version, spice containers were knocked or blown over so that their contents spilled into pots. Other versions substitute the viceroy of New Spain, such as Juan de Palafox y Mendoza, in place of the archbishop.
Reader's Guide
All mole preparations begin with one or more types of chili pepper. The classic mole of Central Mexico and Oaxaca, such as mole poblano and mole negro, include two or more of ancho, pasilla, mulato and chipotle peppers. Other ingredients can include black pepper, achiote, huaje, cumin, clove, anise, tomato, tomatillo, garlic, sesame seed, dried fruit, herbs like hoja santa, and many others.
Mole has an average of 20 ingredients; mole negro has an average of 26, and mole poblano can have over 30. Chocolate, if used, is added at the end of cooking. The ingredients are roasted and ground into a fine powder or paste, then mixed with water or broth and simmered until pungent and very thick.
It is most often prepared in a cazuela or thick heavy clay cauldron and stirred almost constantly. Mole is traditionally served with turkey, but also with chicken, pork, or other meat. Prepared mole sauce will keep about three days in the refrigerator and freezes well; paste keeps six months in the refrigerator and about a year in the freezer.
Did You Know?
- Despite many prehispanic mole recipes, few if any contained chocolate; the Mexica reserved chocolate for beverages.
- Mole verde's main ingredients are pumpkin seeds and green chili; chimole is common in Yucatán and Belize, also known as 'Black Dinner'.
More in Classic Dishes
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Mole (sauce) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced