Mole amarillo: what it is, ingredients and how to make it

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 the yellow chilhuacle, the guajillo chilli and the yellow costeño chilli, complemented by spices and seeds. What distinguishes it from the other Oaxacan moles is the obligatory presence of hoja santa or hierba santa (Piper auritum) and the use of maize masa as a thickener, instead of bread or tortilla. The resulting consistency is light, almost broth-like, which makes it a fresher and more digestible mole than others such as the black or the coloradito. It is prepared with beef, chicken, pork or, in ritual versions, with deer or iguana, accompanied by seasonal vegetables such as chayote, green beans, potatoes or courgettes. Although it is one of the simplest moles in the Oaxacan recipe book, its flavour is delicate and herbal thanks to the hoja santa, a characteristic that distinguishes it immediately on first contact.

Origin and history

Yellow mole is of pre-Hispanic and mestizo origin, 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 a documented presence in Oaxacan ritual cooking from before the Conquest. Hoja santa, a key ingredient, was widely used by the Mesoamerican cultures as a sacred aromatic and digestive. During the colonial period, yellow mole incorporated some European ingredients such as cumin and clove, though it kept its Mesoamerican base of chillies, maize masa and hoja santa. It appears described in the gastronomic inventories of the 19th century and in the Oaxacan recipe books of the 20th century, such as Susana Trilling's 'Seasons of My Heart'. The recipe book 'Mulli. Oaxaca, la tierra de los moles' by the INPI documents its traditional preparation and its regional variants. Recognised within Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010.

Characteristic ingredients

The traditional recipe for yellow mole combines yellow chilhuacle (ideally), yellow costeño chilli, guajillo chilli and sometimes yellow ancho chilli. The chillies are roasted, rehydrated and ground together with green tomatoes (miltomate), garlic, onion, clove, pepper, cumin and seeds such as pumpkin seed or sesame. The distinctive feature is the incorporation of fresh chopped hoja santa at the end of cooking so it provides its characteristic aniseed aroma. The thickener is nixtamalised maize masa diluted in water, which is added to the stew to give it body without the need for bread or tortilla, as other moles require. There are regional variants: in the Central Valleys it is served more broth-like with chochoyotes (little masa balls) and seasonal vegetables; in the Mixteca a thicker version is preferred, with deer or iguana on festive occasions; in the Sierra Sur chepiche or pitiona is added as additional aromatic herbs. It is a versatile and economical mole compared with the black or the coloradito.

Cultural significance

Yellow mole is one of the most everyday moles in the Oaxacan recipe book, present both at feasts and at the daily table. Its simpler preparation, compared with black mole, makes it accessible for country and working-class families, which has contributed to its living preservation in Zapotec, Mixtec and Chinantec communities. It is an emblematic dish of weddings, christenings 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 brought it to international recognition. It forms part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage 2010. It economically sustains producers of yellow chilhuacle in the Oaxacan Cañada —a chilli at risk according to CONABIO— and producers of hoja santa in the Sierra Norte, as well as traditional cooks and restaurants in Oaxaca de Juárez and Mitla.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between yellow mole and amarillito?

They are essentially the same dish, but 'yellow mole' usually refers to the ceremonial and abundant version for feasts, with rich meats (beef or pork) and a greater amount of hoja santa, while 'amarillito' is the everyday version, more broth-like 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 the yellow chilhuacle, an Oaxacan variety at critical risk according to CONABIO. It is complemented with yellow costeño chilli, guajillo chilli and, in some versions, yellow ancho chilli. When chilhuacle is not available it is substituted with guajillo and a little ancho chilli, though the resulting flavour is different from the authentic original, losing fruity and aromatic notes.

Why does yellow mole contain hoja santa?

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

What is yellow mole served with?

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