Yellow mole: the Oaxacan mole with chilhuacle and hoja santa

What is it?

Yellow mole, also called 'amarillito' in its everyday version, is one of the seven emblematic moles of Oaxaca. Its golden yellow colour comes from yellow chilhuacle, guajillo chilli and yellow costeño chilli, complemented by spices and seeds. What distinguishes it from the other Oaxacan moles is the mandatory presence of hoja santa or holy herb (Piper auritum) and the use of maize masa as a thickener, instead of bread or tortilla. The resulting consistency is light, almost brothy, which makes it a fresher and more digestible mole than others such as black or coloradito. It is prepared with beef, chicken, pork or, in ritual versions, with venison or iguana, accompanied by seasonal vegetables such as chayote, green beans, potatoes or courgettes. Although it is one of the simpler moles of the Oaxacan recipe book, its flavour is delicate and herbal thanks to the hoja santa, a feature that immediately distinguishes it at first contact.

Origin and history

Yellow mole has pre-Hispanic and mestizo origins, with Zapotec and Mixtec roots in the Central Valleys and the upper Mixteca of Oaxaca. Although the term 'mole' derives from the Nahuatl 'molli', yellow moles have documented presence in Oaxacan ritual cuisine since before the conquest. Hoja santa, a key ingredient, was widely used by Mesoamerican cultures as a sacred aromatic and digestive. During the colonial period, yellow mole incorporated some European ingredients such as cumin and clove, although it retained its Mesoamerican base of chillies, maize masa and hoja santa. It is described in 19th-century gastronomic inventories and in 20th-century Oaxacan recipe books, such as 'Sabores oaxaqueños' by Susana Trilling. The recipe book 'Mulli. Oaxaca, la tierra de los moles' by INPI documents its traditional preparation and regional variants. Recognised within Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010.

Characteristic ingredients

The traditional Oaxacan yellow mole recipe combines yellow chilhuacle (ideally), yellow costeño chilli, guajillo chilli and sometimes yellow ancho chilli. The chillies are roasted, hydrated and ground together with green tomatoes (miltomate), garlic, onion, clove, pepper, cumin and seeds such as pumpkin seed or sesame. What is distinctive is the incorporation of fresh chopped hoja santa at the end of cooking so it contributes its characteristic aniseed aroma. The thickener is diluted nixtamalised maize masa, which is added to the stew to give it body without needing bread or tortilla, as other moles do require. There are regional variants: in the Central Valleys it is served more brothy with chochoyotes (small masa balls) and seasonal vegetables; in the Mixteca it is preferred thicker and with venison or iguana at festivities; in the Sierra Sur chepiche or pitiona is added as additional aromatic herbs. It is a versatile and inexpensive mole compared with black or coloradito.

Cultural significance

Yellow mole is one of the most everyday moles of the Oaxacan recipe book, present at festivities and on the daily table. Its simpler preparation, compared with black mole, makes it accessible to peasant and working-class families, which has contributed to its living preservation in Zapotec, Mixtec and Chinantec communities. It is the emblematic dish of weddings, baptisms and mayordomías in towns of the Central Valleys, the Mixteca and the Sierra Sur. SECTUR and the government of Oaxaca promote it within the catalogue of Oaxacan moles as a key tourist product, and traditional cooks such as Celia Florián and Abigail Mendoza have taken it to international recognition. It is part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage 2010. It economically sustains producers of yellow chilhuacle in the Cañada Oaxaqueña — a chilli at risk according to CONABIO — and producers of hoja santa from the Sierra Norte, as well as cooks and traditional restaurants in Oaxaca de Juárez and Mitla.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between mole amarillo and amarillito?

They are essentially the same dish, but 'mole amarillo' usually refers to the ceremonial and abundant festive version, with rich meats (beef or pork) and a larger amount of hoja santa, while 'amarillito' is the everyday version, more brothy and with chicken or seasonal vegetables. Both share the base of yellow chilhuacle, maize masa and hoja santa that distinguishes them.

Which chilli is used for yellow mole?

The key chilli is yellow chilhuacle, an Oaxacan variety at critical risk according to CONABIO. It is complemented with yellow costeño chilli, guajillo and, in some versions, yellow ancho chilli. When chilhuacle is not available it is substituted with guajillo and a little ancho, although the resulting flavour is different from the authentic original, losing fruity and aromatic notes.

Why does yellow mole have hoja santa?

Hoja santa (Piper auritum) is an obligatory and distinctive ingredient of Oaxacan yellow mole. It brings a unique aniseed and herbal aroma that defines the character of the dish. Mesoamerican cultures used it as a sacred seasoning and digestive since pre-Hispanic times. Without hoja santa, yellow mole loses its essential identity and becomes another type of yellow sauce.

What is yellow mole served with?

It is traditionally accompanied with chicken, beef or pork and seasonal vegetables such as chayote, green beans, potatoes, courgettes and chochoyotes (maize-masa balls). It is served with white rice, handmade tortillas and, in some regions, with chochoyotes incorporated into the stew. At festivities it is prepared with venison, rabbit or iguana, depending on the Oaxacan region.