Mole coloradito: what it is, taste and how it's used

What is it?

Mole coloradito is one of the seven emblematic moles of Oaxaca and one of the most popular in everyday cooking. Its name comes from the characteristic red-orange colour that results from the combination of ancho chilli, mulato chilli and guajillo chilli, without the inclusion of chilhuacle or the charring process of black mole. It is a sweeter, more accessible and less complex mole than the black or the red, which makes it ideal for daily use in Oaxacan kitchens. It is traditionally prepared with chicken, though it is also served with pork or as a salsa for enchiladas, tamales or as a base for stews. Its preparation incorporates bitter Oaxacan chocolate, plantain, almonds, sesame, raisins, bread, spices such as cinnamon, clove and pepper, tomato and onion. The result is a thick, glossy, slightly sweet and spiced salsa, with a moderate level of heat that allows both adults and children to enjoy it at the daily family table in Oaxaca.

Origin and history

Mole coloradito has its roots in the mestizo Oaxacan cooking that developed during the colonial period, when pre-Hispanic Zapotec and Mixtec cooking was enriched with European ingredients such as almonds, cinnamon, clove, sesame and raisins. Like the rest of the moles, its remote origin lies in the pre-Hispanic 'molli', a ritual salsa of chillies, seeds and spices that evolved into the mestizo baroque mole. Although popular versions attribute the invention of modern mole to the Dominican and Franciscan nuns of Oaxaca and Puebla in the 17th century, historians such as Cristina Barros and Marco Buenrostro have documented that it is a gradual and collective development. The recipe book 'Mulli. Oaxaca, la tierra de los moles' by the INPI documents regional variants of the coloradito in the Central Valleys, the Mixteca and the Sierra Sur. It forms part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010. It is the mole most commonly eaten on an everyday basis in the homes of Oaxaca de Juárez and the Central Valleys.

Characteristic ingredients

The traditional recipe for mole coloradito combines ancho chilli, mulato chilli and guajillo chilli (in variable proportions according to the family), which are lightly toasted without burning to preserve sweetness and colour. They are rehydrated and ground with almonds, sesame, roasted red and green tomatoes, onion, garlic, fried bread or tortilla, fried plantain, raisins, bitter Oaxacan chocolate and spices: cinnamon, clove, pepper and sometimes cumin. The paste is fried in lard or vegetable oil until it releases its aroma, then diluted with chicken broth and cooked slowly for 30-45 minutes. The consistency should be thick but not pasty, glossy and aromatic. Regional variants: in the Central Valleys a sweeter and milder version is preferred; in the Mixteca it incorporates more spices; in some Zapotec communities a little additional chocolate is added to enhance the sweetness. The paste can be kept refrigerated for up to two weeks or frozen for months without losing quality or aroma.

Cultural significance

Mole coloradito is the mole most commonly eaten on an everyday basis in Oaxaca and one of the favourites for popular dishes such as mole coloradito enchiladas, coloradito tamales and chicken with mole sold at food stalls, markets and restaurants. Its economic accessibility —compared with the costly black mole— and its balanced flavour make it the everyday mole for many Oaxacan families. SECTUR promotes the seven Oaxacan moles as a tourist product, and the coloradito features prominently in markets such as the 20 de Noviembre and the Central de Abastos of Oaxaca de Juárez, where it is sold as ready-to-use paste. Traditional cooks such as Abigail Mendoza, Celia Florián and Pilar Cabrera have brought it to international recognition. It forms part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage 2010. It economically sustains families producing dried chillies in Puebla and the Bajío, producers of Oaxacan chocolate and traditional cooks in the Oaxacan markets that open each week at dawn.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Oaxacan mole coloradito and red mole?

Mole coloradito does not use chilhuacle (the key chilli of the red and the black), has a sweeter profile thanks to more plantain, raisins and chocolate, and is notably more economical and everyday. Red mole carries red chilhuacle, is more spiced, less sweet and more costly. Both share a reddish colour, but the coloradito is more orange-red and the red is a deep glossy red.

What does mole coloradito taste like?

Its flavour is balanced between sweet, spiced and slightly spicy. The dominant notes are the sweetness of the plantain and raisins, the aroma of the bitter chocolate with cinnamon and the fruity flavour of the ancho and mulato chillies. The heat is moderate, accessible to most diners. It is a comforting, homely and very versatile mole, ideal for family tables.

In which dishes is mole coloradito used?

It is used mainly to prepare chicken with mole coloradito, mole coloradito enchiladas, stuffed Oaxacan tamales, chiles rellenos bathed in mole and as a salsa to accompany rice, beans or nopalitos. In contemporary cooking it is incorporated into pastas, gourmet burgers and creative dressings. It is the most versatile and everyday mole of the current Oaxacan recipe book.

Where does mole coloradito come from?

It is native to the Central Valleys of Oaxaca, mainly the area of Oaxaca de Juárez, Tlacolula, Etla and Ocotlán, home to the Zapotec peoples. Its origin combines the pre-Hispanic Zapotec and Mixtec culinary traditions with European ingredients that arrived during the colonial period, as is the case with all the Oaxacan moles of the mestizo baroque recipe book.