Mole | alimentarium (2024)

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The history of a divinely spicy sauce

Mole sauce, the epitome of Mexican food, is made from chilli peppers, cocoa and corn, and was already used before the colonial period as a filling for tortillas served at important meals. The name mole is derived from chilmolli in nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs, the word chil meaning chilli pepper and molli sauce or ragout.

The true origin of mole sauce is not clear, as there are a number of varying stories and recipes. However, all moles contain one or several kinds of dried chilli peppers (ancho, pasilla, chipotle,etc.), acidic fruit (tomatoes, green tomatoes, tamarind,etc.), sweet fruit (pears, plums, grapes,etc.), and spices (cinnamon, pepper, cloves,etc.) as well as thickeners (walnuts, tortillas, bread,etc.). Nowadays, mole is mainly served over meat, but also with vegetables or tortillas.

According to the conquistador BernalDíaz, the emperor Moctezuma used to eat chilmolli from a terracotta dish. Rumour also has it that tribal chiefs greeted HernánCortès and his captains like princes when they landed in Mexico and served them this sauce, traditionally offered up to the gods.

The origin of the most widely known mole, molepoblano, made from chilli peppers and bitter cocoa, is disputed. A nun at the SantaRosa convent in Puebla is said to have invented the recipe in the17^thcentury, when she heard of the impending visit of Juan dePalafox, Viceroy of NewSpain and Archbishop ofPuebla. To honour her guest, she emptied the larder, mixing indigenous ingredients (chilli peppers, tomatoes, cocoa,etc.) with products introduced by the conquistadors (onions, garlic, almonds, cloves, cinnamon). Another source claims this same nun invented it to mark the visit of Viceroy TomásAntonio de la CerdayAragón, at the end of the17^thcentury. However, this recipe did not contain cocoa.

There are numerous other variations of mole besides molepoblano. Many come from the state of Oaxaca, such as the sweet and spicy molenegro, which contains chocolate, cloves, cinnamon and cumin. Other recipes include moleverde, made from pumpkin seeds and green chilli peppers, moleamarillo, made from yellow chilli peppers and molemanchamantel which contains fruit such as pineapple and plantain bananas, as well as more tangy ingredients such as chorizo, tomatoes and ancho chilli peppers.

The traditional method of making mole is as long as its list of ingredients! Each product is roasted, then ground with a pestle or on a metate stone, before being mixed, seasoned and cooked for several hours.

Following Mexico’s independence in1821, mole became one of the symbols of Mexican cuisine. In fact, since2010, all traditional Mexican cuisine, including mole, has featured on the UNESCO list of Intangible CulturalHeritage.