It’s not just tacos in the Mexican stomach. A culinary specialty as complex as it is amazing mole is national pride. So much so that an entire part of the local culture would be missed by anyone visiting Mexico without discovering it. Pronounced “mo-lé”, it refers to a dish made of chicken thighs or breasts topped with a thick, sweet and spicy sauce of the same name, made with over a hundred ingredients (spices, raisins, bread, tortillas, avocado leaves…) traditionally mixed. with chocolate. Combine chicken, peppers, spices and chocolate in the same dish? The combination is often confusing to the Western palate, but in a country with record diabetes rates, tasting mole is the most important thing.
- Staying partner in Mexico | 12 days | Mexico City, Valley of Oaxaca and Guanajuato
Chili and chocolate, Mexican favorites
Mole is one of the most important dishes of Mexican gastronomy. Its recipe dates back to pre-Hispanic times. cocoa sauce was then a delicacy of the gods, sought after and prized for its stimulating effects. The origin of its name comes from the word “mulli” which means “sauce” in Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Aztecs. A dish for special occasions and holidays, served in astronomical quantities to grace family tables at weddings, feasts of the dead or birthdays, cooked for hours in huge ceramic pots, mole can also be eaten every day, swallowed. in mobile booths placed on street corners or market corridors.
Infinite variations
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When we love, we don’t count. What’s more, Mexicans wouldn’t mind a good one mole every day. And it is undoubtedly for matters of variety that the recipe has been reduced to this extent. Over time, the traditional chocolate sauce began to be covered tamales, these cornbreads steamed in banana leaves; that emmoladas, Picardy-style chicken-stuffed tortilla, but also fish and omelette. Today, even the sauce has many versions, each competing for the title of best version as if it were a national competition.
In this mad race, the states of Puebla and Oaxaca have gained unparalleled fame, the former for its particularly intense chocolate version, the latter being dubbed the “Land of the Seven Moles” in reference to its popular variations: mole negro, oro, amarillo, verde, coloradito, estofado y chichilo. . If the basis mole it’s always the same: a good dose of burnt pepper, emblematic of Mexican terroir, an array of mixed spices, a colonial legacy brought over by the conquistadors; the rest of the ingredients vary from one sauce to another. Then the chocolate disappears in favor of the raisins red ; of local aromatic herbs green and… ants, in won’t happena rare and coveted specialty of the village of Pahuatlán in the center of the country.
A whole know-how
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If even some ingredients are changed, the preparation is mole always starts the same way. jefas mexicans – the moms – toast the spices and chilies, then grind the mixture with metate, the Mexican version of Creole sand. They then receive dough that they grind in a rustic machine used to make tortillas before browning it in a large ceramic pot in a little fat for 1-2 hours. The longer it is, the longer the paste preserves and concentrates its aromas. Then the rest of the ingredients are added, then everything is sprinkled with homemade stock and fresh tomato puree to thin the paste and get the consistency of a thick sauce. All that remains is to smother the meat or fish in this extraordinary sauce, which probably won’t leave a trace at the end of the meal.
Source: Le Figaro
I’m Ashley Mark, a news website author for Buna Times. I specialize in writing articles about current trends and breaking news stories. With my passion for uncovering the truth behind every story, I strive to bring readers the most up-to-date information available.