The History of Mole Poblano

My family’s go-to dish for every party or celebration is mole poblano with chicken and rice.  Before the big day, my tias and Abuelita spend the evening finding and prepping the ingredients and washing the large cazeulas to make fresh homemade mole. It is a lengthy and difficult process. Still, my family takes pride and love in preparing this dish. Mole Poblano is a traditional dish from Puebla Mexico. The word mole originates from the Nahuatl language mōlli meaning sauce. It is unclear where mole first started but several claims argue it is native to Puebla and Oaxaca. However, other Mexican states and countries have added their own twist to this sauce. Today, there are different types of mole varying in taste, color, and spice. 

The infamous mole poblano is made up of multiple ingredients such as cocoa, dried chili peppers, and corn. These ingredients are first roasted, then grounded, and cooked for several hours. 

Ingredients For the Sauce:

For the Sauce:

6 Mulato peppers

4 Ancho peppers

6 Pasilla peppers

1 Tablespoon of reserved pepper seeds

6 Whole cloves

½ Teaspoon black peppercorn

¼ Teaspoon coriander seeds

¼ Teaspoonanises seeds

¾ Cup sesame seeds

¾ Inch of Mexican cinnamon stick

½ Cup of raisins

⅓ Cup unskinned almonds

⅓ Cup peanuts

1 Corn tortilla

3 Small slices of french bread

⅓ Cup of raw pumpkin seeds

½ Small white onion sliced

2 Medium roasted tomatoes

3 Garlic gloves roasted

½ Large ripe dark-skinned plantain peeled, thickly sliced

1 Tablet of Mexican drinking Chocolate* About 3.1 ounces.

The reserved broth from the cooked chicken.

½ Cup of oil or lard to fry the ingredients

Salt to taste

For the full recipe check out Mely Martinez’s website Mexico in my Kitchen https://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/how-to-make-mole-poblano/

Do not get discouraged by the ingredients and steps. It is a time-consuming and difficult task but very rewarding.  Although I was raised eating mole poblano, I never learned how to make it. From a young age, I was challenged to break gender norms by staying away from the kitchen. Since then, my mission in life has changed to redefine womanhood and reconnect with my Latinx culture. This consist of keeping these traditional dishes alive so the generations after me continue to enjoy and learn about delicious meals!