Mole chichilo: what it is, taste and how it's made

What is it?

Mole chichilo is the rarest and most mysterious of the seven Oaxacan moles, considered a ritual dish associated with mourning and Zapotec funeral ceremonies. Its name comes from Zapotec and has been interpreted as 'charred thing' or 'dark thing', in reference to the process of deliberately charring the black chilhuacles that give it its characteristic colour and flavour. Its preparation is similar to that of black mole in some respects —it uses black chilhuacle, mulato chilli and a charring process— but it is distinguished by a more broth-like texture, the obligatory presence of avocado leaf as a sacred aromatic, and the inclusion of chochoyotes (little hollow masa balls). It contains no chocolate, which immediately differentiates it from black mole. It is traditionally prepared with beef (backbone or rib) and seasonal vegetables. It is the least commercialised of the Oaxacan moles, rarely available in restaurants and prepared almost exclusively in Zapotec and Mixtec family homes for specific occasions linked to grief.

Origin and history

Mole chichilo is one of the Oaxacan moles with the most pre-Hispanic roots, considered a direct relative of the 'tlilmolli' or 'ritual black mole' that the Zapotec and Mixtec cultures prepared before the Conquest. Its association with mourning and funeral ceremonies links it to Mesoamerican funerary traditions, where ritual foods were fundamental in accompanying the passage to the afterlife. The recipe book 'Mulli. Oaxaca, la tierra de los moles' by the INPI documents its traditional preparation in the Central Valleys and the Mixteca. The magazine Gourmet de México and Excélsior have published recent features describing it as the most enigmatic and least known mole of the Oaxacan recipe book. It forms part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010. CONABIO documents that the black chilhuacle —the key ingredient of the chichilo— is at critical risk, which endangers the authentic preservation of this historic mole.

Characteristic ingredients

The traditional recipe for mole chichilo combines black chilhuacle (a chilli critical for CONABIO), mulato chilli and Mexican pasilla chilli. The chillies are deliberately charred on the comal until partly turned to charcoal, a fundamental process that defines the mole's flavour. They are rehydrated and ground together with roasted green tomato (miltomate), garlic, onion, avocado leaves (essential) and sometimes hoja santa. Nixtamalised maize masa is incorporated as a thickener, giving a more broth-like consistency than the thick black mole. The key difference: it contains no chocolate, no almonds, no bread, no sesame and no raisins. It is a more austere mole, ritually sober, associated with mourning. It is prepared with beef (backbone or rib) cooked with vegetables, and served with chochoyotes (hollow masa balls cooked inside the stew) and fresh vegetables such as green beans and chayote. It is a dark, almost black mole, but with a broth-like texture, a bitter flavour and deeply spiced by the controlled charring of the chillies, avocado leaves and cumin.

Cultural significance

Mole chichilo is one of the most historic and ritual moles of Oaxacan cooking. Its funerary character links it to Zapotec and Mixtec mourning ceremonies, particularly the novenarios (nine days of prayer after a death) and death anniversaries. Although its consumption has declined in recent decades, it persists in traditional Zapotec communities of Tlacolula, Teotitlán del Valle, Mitla and the upper Mixteca. Traditional cooks such as Abigail Mendoza (Tlamanalli) have recovered and promoted it as endangered cultural heritage, bringing it to national and international diners. SECTUR and the government of Oaxaca include it in the catalogue of the seven Oaxacan moles promoted for tourism. It forms part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage 2010. Its preservation is tied to the conservation of the black chilhuacle, a chilli at critical risk according to CONABIO, which prompts joint programmes by SADER, INPI and farming communities of the Oaxacan Cañada to keep this heritage chilli alive and, with it, the ancestral mole chichilo.

Frequently asked questions

What does the word chichilo mean?

Chichilo comes from Zapotec and has been interpreted as 'charred thing', 'dark thing' or 'the bitter', in reference to the deliberate charring of the black chilhuacles that give the mole its characteristic flavour. Some linguists associate it with the Nahuatl 'chichilli' (red or yellow thing), though the Zapotec version is the most accepted by most Oaxacan authors.

What is the difference between mole chichilo and black mole?

Both use black chilhuacle and a charring process, but the chichilo contains no chocolate, almonds, bread or raisins, while black mole does include them. The chichilo is more broth-like, more austere and more bitter; black mole is thick, glossy, more complex and sweet. The chichilo is associated with mourning; black mole with weddings and large festive celebrations.

Why is mole chichilo associated with mourning?

In Zapotec and Mixtec tradition, mole chichilo is the ritual dish prepared during funeral novenarios and death anniversaries. Its austere character (no chocolate or sweetness) and its dark colour link it symbolically with grief. It is an inheritance from Mesoamerican funerary traditions, where ritual foods accompanied the deceased on their passage to the afterlife.

What is mole chichilo served with?

It is traditionally served with beef (backbone or rib) cooked with vegetables such as chayote, green beans and carrot. It includes chochoyotes —hollow maize-masa balls cooked inside the stew— and is accompanied by hand-made Oaxacan tortillas. It is a sober mole, without white rice or other festive trimmings, in keeping with its mournful ritual character in Oaxacan ceremonial cooking.