What is the difference between hot and cold chile en nogada?

Traditionally chile en nogada is served at room temperature or slightly warm, not hot. The chilli filled with picadillo is briefly baked; the nogada sauce is served cold or warm so that it does not curdle. Some modern versions serve it hot with gently warmed nogada, but the original Puebla recipe is at room temperature. The thermal contrast is part of the appeal.

What do chiles en nogada taste like?

They taste of a complex sweet-savoury symphony: the chile poblano provides a vegetal-moderately spicy note, the picadillo combines meat with the sweetness of fruits, raisins and sweet spices (cinnamon, cloves), the nogada provides walnut-milky creaminess with sherry notes, the pomegranate gives bursts of fruity sweet-acid, the parsley adds freshness. It is the most accomplished sweet-savoury dish in Mexican cuisine.

How are chiles en nogada served?

They are served one per person, on a flat plate, generously covered with white nogada, decorated with red pomegranate seeds and green parsley leaves forming the colours of the Mexican flag. They are accompanied with red or white rice and warm tortillas. They are eaten with cutlery, gently cutting the chilli to mix all the elements in each bite. They are served during August and September.

Where do chiles en nogada originate?

They originate from Puebla, Mexico, traditionally created in 1821 by the Augustinian nuns of the convent of Santa Mónica to honour Agustín de Iturbide after the consummation of Independence. The informal denomination of origin links them to Puebla, especially to the walnut and biznaga producing towns on the slopes of Popocatépetl. They are national gastronomic heritage and a symbol of the patriotic holidays.

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Chiles en nogada: Puebla's patriotic dish

What is it?

Chiles en nogada are the most iconic and symbolic dish of Mexican patriotic cooking, originating from Puebla and consumed mainly between July and September, when the season of fresh walnut and ripe pomegranate coincide. It consists of a large chile poblano filled with sweet-savoury picadillo of meat (pork, beef or mixed), Mexican fruits (apple, pear, peach, plantain, biznaga), raisins, almonds and spices; bathed in a creamy white sauce of fresh walnut, goat's cheese and spices; and decorated with red pomegranate seeds and green parsley, forming the three colours of the Mexican flag. It is a technically complex, festive, luxurious and deeply patriotic dish, considered by many chefs the pinnacle of Mexican baroque cuisine.

Origin and history

Chiles en nogada were born in Puebla in 1821, according to the most widespread version, attributed to the Augustinian nuns of the convent of Santa Mónica who created them to honour Agustín de Iturbide when he passed through Puebla on his way to Mexico City after signing the Treaties of Córdoba. Larousse Cocina and México Desconocido record this tradition, although contemporary historiography qualifies it: earlier recipes for stuffed chillies in walnut sauce exist in New Spanish baroque cooking, and the tricolour flag version may have consolidated decades later. The association with the patriotic holidays of 16 September is due to its colours: green (chilli and parsley), white (nogada), red (pomegranate), identical to the Mexican flag. The Government of Mexico recognises chile en nogada as gastronomic heritage of Puebla, and the unofficial denomination of origin protects the traditional recipe. The season is delimited by the timing of fresh walnut harvested in Calpan and San Nicolás de los Ranchos, on the slopes of Popocatépetl.

Characteristic ingredients

Chile en nogada requires seasonal ingredients of the highest quality. The chile poblano is roasted, peeled and de-veined carefully leaving the stalk; it must be large, fleshy and not very spicy. The picadillo combines minced pork and beef sautéed with tomato, onion, garlic, Mexican fruits (panochera apple, pear, criollo peach, plantain, biznaga or acitrón), raisins, flaked almonds, pine nuts, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and a touch of sugar. The nogada (walnut sauce) is the critical ingredient: it is made exclusively with fresh walnut (Juglans regia) freshly harvested (from mid-July to mid-September), peeled by hand (a laborious 4-6 hour process for a family dish). The peeled walnuts are ground in a metate or molcajete with fresh goat's cheese, milk, dry sherry, cinnamon and sometimes almonds. The sauce should be white and creamy, slightly foamy. The decoration with pomegranate seeds (Punica granatum) and parsley leaves provides the red and green touches, completing the flag.

Cultural significance

Chile en nogada is the most recognisable and symbolic dish of the Mexican patriotic holidays (15-16 September, commemorating Independence). Its consumption is concentrated between August and September when fresh walnut is available. Restaurants in Puebla, Mexico City, Querétaro, Guadalajara and other cities offer a special chile en nogada menu each year, with premium prices reflecting the cost of ingredients and labour (each chilli can cost between 300 and 800 pesos in a restaurant). The traditional chile en nogada economy supports walnut producers in Calpan, San Nicolás de los Ranchos, San Pedro Cholula and other Pueblan towns on the slopes of Popocatépetl, where the walnut tree has been grown for centuries. Traditional Mexican cuisine was recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2010 (with Michoacán as a paradigm), and chile en nogada features among the most representative dishes. It is a baroque, ritual, festive dish, considered the highest expression of Mexican culinary mestizaje.

Related recipes

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Ingredients to cook it

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between hot and cold chile en nogada?: Traditionally chile en nogada is served at room temperature or slightly warm, not hot. The chilli filled with picadillo is briefly baked; the nogada sauce is served cold or warm so that it does not curdle. Some modern versions serve it hot with gently warmed nogada, but the original Puebla recipe is at room temperature. The thermal contrast is part of the appeal.
What do chiles en nogada taste like?: They taste of a complex sweet-savoury symphony: the chile poblano provides a vegetal-moderately spicy note, the picadillo combines meat with the sweetness of fruits, raisins and sweet spices (cinnamon, cloves), the nogada provides walnut-milky creaminess with sherry notes, the pomegranate gives bursts of fruity sweet-acid, the parsley adds freshness. It is the most accomplished sweet-savoury dish in Mexican cuisine.
How are chiles en nogada served?: They are served one per person, on a flat plate, generously covered with white nogada, decorated with red pomegranate seeds and green parsley leaves forming the colours of the Mexican flag. They are accompanied with red or white rice and warm tortillas. They are eaten with cutlery, gently cutting the chilli to mix all the elements in each bite. They are served during August and September.
Where do chiles en nogada originate?: They originate from Puebla, Mexico, traditionally created in 1821 by the Augustinian nuns of the convent of Santa Mónica to honour Agustín de Iturbide after the consummation of Independence. The informal denomination of origin links them to Puebla, especially to the walnut and biznaga producing towns on the slopes of Popocatépetl. They are national gastronomic heritage and a symbol of the patriotic holidays.