The word Mole is Nahuatl [molli] and means sauce or stew. Which, due to a cooking accident, hurriedness, or improvisation at the last minute—typical of those who discover or invent what they weren’t looking for—at the Santa Rosa convent (Puebla, 17th century), began a culinary tradition now represented by Mole Poblano.
But some insist on giving this dish a pre-Hispanic historical placement after a slow culinary process (not improvisation), linking it to Aztec cuisine intended to satisfy the sophisticated palate of the aristocracy of that rich culture; it was a context where, apparently, chocolate (Mole de Guajolote) was not yet involved in the preparation of the dish, which later became a key ingredient in its presentation.
Mole Poblano is a sauce or stew meant to cover pieces of a turkey prepared to feed us; it also works when applied to chicken, pork, and fish—things for those who want to invent something additional or possible beyond the initial creation. Its early recipes likely required the involvement of over a hundred ingredients (!), blending various chilies, spices, and seasonings that were ground together on a metate.
Thus, the variety of the original dish influences the version of today’s Mole Poblano, which is found in many others such as white mole, cheese mole, yellow mole, mancha manteles, Oaxacan mole, almond-flavored… and a cautious etcetera. From that hundred, Mole Poblano must include bitter chocolate, chilies (ancho, mulato, pasilla, chipotle), tomatoes, almonds, banana, walnuts, raisins, sesame, clove, cinnamon, parsley… and serve it with rice. It’s an exquisite dish not to be missed among your options. It is the eternal memory of what we want to repeat. ¡Oh… we’re going to the Mole Poblano Festival in June!
