Chile mulato: the dark ancho of Puebla moles

What is it?

Chile mulato is a dried poblano variety, considered one of the essential dried chillies in Mexican cooking. It comes from plants distinct from those of the ancho, although both are dehydrated poblanos. It has a triangular shape, measures between 10 and 14 cm, has wrinkled skin and a dark brown almost black colour with chocolate tones. It is grown above all in Puebla, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí. It provides a fruity, sweet and chocolatey flavour, with mild heat (2,500-3,000 Scoville units). It is a key ingredient of classic mole poblano alongside ancho, pasilla and chipotle, and also appears in Oaxacan moles, mole de olla, adobos and dark salsas of traditional Mexican cuisine.

Origin and history

Chile mulato and ancho are the two forms in which the poblano is dehydrated: both were domesticated in Mesoamerica millennia ago. New Spanish codices mention that in Puebla and the Altiplano, ripe chillies were dried to make dark salsas and festive stews. The difference between ancho and mulato comes from a genetic mutation in the poblano that affects how pigments transform on ripening: the mulato retains a higher proportion of dark pigments and develops chocolate and coffee notes on drying. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún describes in the Florentine Codex various varieties of dried chillies used by the Mexica, ancestors of the chillies we now distinguish. Mole poblano, described by Sor Andrea de la Asunción and by seventeenth-century Pueblan colonial chronicles, consolidated the use of mulato as one of the three base chillies, alongside ancho and pasilla.

Characteristic ingredients

The mulato derives from a genetically distinct variety of chile poblano. On ripening it acquires a very dark red colour and, when sun-dried for several days, it develops an almost black colour with brown reflections and a wrinkled, flexible skin. To distinguish it from the ancho it is observed against the light: the ancho lets reddish light pass through and the mulato is opaque. Its dimensions are similar to the ancho (8-14 cm) and it is prepared in the same way: de-veined, de-seeded, lightly toasted on a comal (care with burning, which makes the entire sauce bitter) and rehydrated in hot water for about 15 minutes. Its flavour recalls cacao, raisins and coffee, with very low heat (2,500-3,000 Scoville units). In Puebla cooking it is mixed with ancho (which provides sweet body) and pasilla (which provides herbal flavour), forming the classic triad of mole poblano. It combines very well with chocolate, almonds, sesame, tomato and sweet spices.

Cultural significance

Chile mulato is a symbol of Puebla cooking and of Mexican ceremonial moles. Without it, neither mole poblano nor several dark Oaxacan moles would exist, essential dishes at festivities such as Independence, the patron saints, weddings and christenings. Traditional Mexican cuisine, at whose heart are the moles, has been inscribed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO since 2010. The mulato is sold in markets such as El Parián in Puebla, La Merced in Mexico City and Abastos in Oaxaca, where market traders teach cooks how to tell it apart from the ancho by colour and opacity. SADER includes it among the emblematic dried chillies of Mexico. Its production, concentrated in small family plots in Puebla and Zacatecas, keeps alive an agricultural and gastronomic tradition of pre-Hispanic origin.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chile mulato and chile ancho?

Both are dried poblanos, but they come from genetically distinct varieties. The ancho is dark red and lets reddish light pass through against the light, with a fruity prune flavour and very low heat (1,000-2,000 SHU). The mulato is almost black, opaque against the light, with more chocolate, coffee and raisin flavour, and slightly higher heat (2,500-3,000 SHU). In mole poblano they are used together because they complement each other.

What does chile mulato taste like?

It provides a deep and sweet flavour, with clear notes of bitter chocolate, toasted coffee, liquorice, raisin and tobacco. Its heat is mild (2,500-3,000 Scoville units). When briefly toasted on a comal it develops aromas of toasted cocoa and caramel, which defines the dark colour and subtle sweetness of mole poblano.

How is chile mulato used in cooking?

It is de-veined and de-seeded, lightly toasted and rehydrated in hot water for between 15 and 20 minutes before blending. It is used together with ancho and pasilla for mole poblano and other moles of central Mexico, in mole de olla, pork adobos, dark salsas and pipianes. It also provides colour and sweetness to soups, Christmas stews and enchilada sauces.

Where does chile mulato originate?

The poblano from which it comes is native to the state of Puebla and the Mexican Altiplano. Production of dried mulato is concentrated today in Puebla, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí. It is one of the chillies most associated with Puebla cooking and the traditional moles of central and southern Mexico, especially mole poblano and the dark moles of Oaxaca.