The mole, a pre-Hispanic dish
There is no dish more perfect for any season of the year, nor one that feels more familiar, and definitely food for the soul than this delight.
There are many varieties of mole, such as the poblano, the Michoacan, the yellow mole, the pipián, the xiqueño, Mantamanteles, black... In addition to the fact that in each home it is prepared according to the seasoning of the person kitchen; and apart from being a homemade dish, it is a tradition to serve it as a main dish at festivities, weddings, and other celebrations. And it was precisely used for celebrations, according to what we know about its history. If you want to know everything about this Mexican sauce, keep reading.
Legends of the Mole
This dish, so representative of Mexico, has its origins long before the conquest; There are several versions of its origins, such as one that emerged in the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla, as the creation of a nun, to please the palate of Viceroy Tomás Antonio de la Serna y Aragón, who was passing through the city.
Another version tells that it was created by accident, also in the city of Puebla, when Juan de Palafox, viceroy of New Spain and archbishop of Puebla, visited his diocese; Fray Pascual, the person in charge of the kitchen, threw the different ingredients into the pan where the turkeys were being cooked to serve the viceroy, resulting in a delicacy... Although the truth is that mole is so delicious that it is very difficult for us to believe that it is created by sheer luck.
The mulli
In its simplest definition, “mulli” means sauce, stew or mixture and is a Nahuatl word; and in the General History of Things in New Spain or in the Florentine Codex by Fray Bernardino de Sahagún (16th century), it is constantly repeated when referring to different types of sauces, such as chiltecpin mulli or "mole made with chiltecpitl and tomatoes"; the chilcuzmulli xitomayo, a yellow chilli mulli with tomatoes, the huauhquilmolli that was made with amaranth and "yellow chilli, tomatoes and pumpkin seeds" or the izmiquilmolli with green chili.
Throughout colonization, our “mulli” was modified by adding spices brought by the Spanish, such as star anise, cinnamon, walnuts, among others, becoming the more than 50 varieties of mole that exist today. Thus, the mole was not an accidental creation, nor was it made for some viceroy in New Spain, but rather it is a dish that has gone through a whole cultural process (like our country) and is part of our heritage.
Infinity of recipes
As we already mentioned, there are many types of this sauce, as well as its different accompaniments, be it chicken, turkey (as it was originally eaten), pork, and even vegetarian versions; the truth is that although a single recipe to prepare it is not known for sure, there are moles that are made up of more than 100 ingredients, here are some of them:
- Dried chillies
- Metate Chocolate
- Male banana
- Hard Tortillas
- Garlic
- Onion
- Peanut
- Almond
- Anise
- Sesame
- Piloncillo
- Hard roll
- Cinnamon
- Tomatoes
- Clove
And we could list many more, starting with the one that makes us grandma at home; what is your favorite type of mole? Don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and our website, where you can learn about all Don Zabor products, including many of the ones you'll need to create your own version of the mole Find them at any Walmart, Superama, Bodega Aurrera, H-E-B, laComer, CityClub, Alsuper and at your nearest store.
