What is mole sauce?
Quick answer
Mole is a family of rich, complex Mexican sauces made from dried chili peppers, spices, nuts, seeds and other ingredients. The most famous, mole poblano from Puebla, combines chilies with a small amount of chocolate, giving it a deep, slightly sweet flavor. It’s often served over turkey or chicken.
The word mole comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word mōlli, meaning “sauce.” It’s pronounced “MOH-lay.”
What’s in mole poblano?
A classic recipe can include more than 20 ingredients:
| Group | Examples |
|---|---|
| Dried chilies | Ancho, mulato, pasilla, chipotle |
| Spices | Cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, anise, cumin |
| Nuts and seeds | Almonds, peanuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds |
| Fruit | Raisins, plantain |
| Thickeners | Toasted bread or tortillas |
| Chocolate | Mexican chocolate, used in small amounts |
The ingredients are toasted or fried, ground into a paste and slowly simmered with broth. Making mole from scratch can take a full day, so many families prepare it for special occasions such as weddings, birthdays and Día de Muertos.
Oaxaca, the land of seven moles
The state of Oaxaca is famous for its moles:
| Mole | Color and flavor |
|---|---|
| Mole negro | Very dark; smoky, rich, with chocolate |
| Mole rojo | Red; slightly sweet |
| Mole amarillo | Yellow; lighter, no chocolate |
| Mole verde | Green, with fresh herbs and tomatillos |
| Coloradito | Brick red |
| Chichilo | Dark, smoky, made with special chilies |
| Manchamanteles | “Tablecloth stainer,” with fruit |
The legend
A popular story says that nuns at the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla invented mole poblano in the late 1600s for a visiting archbishop, mixing whatever they had. Historians think mole developed over a much longer time, combining Indigenous chili sauces with spices from Europe and Asia.
For another festival linked to remembering loved ones, see what Halloween is, which mentions Mexico’s Day of the Dead. Mole’s spices often include those used in baklava, like cinnamon and cloves.
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