What is the difference between mole de olla and traditional mole?

Traditional mole (Pueblan, Oaxacan, ranchero) is a paste or thick sauce of dried chillies, spices, dried nuts and chocolate that coats the meat. Mole de olla is a broth or soup with a base of dried chillies, neither thick nor sweet, with meat in pieces and plenty of vegetables (sweetcorn, courgette, green bean, xoconostle) and chochoyones. They share toasted chillies but their final form and flavour are completely different.

What does mole de olla taste like?

It tastes of a deep beef broth with toasted-smoky notes of dried chillies (guajillo, ancho, pasilla, mulato), enriched by the moderate sweetness of tomato, the freshness of epazote or coriander, and the distinctive acidity of xoconostle that sets it apart from any other Mexican broth. The vegetables bring sweetness (sweetcorn), softness (courgette) and crunch (green bean). The chochoyones add creamy dough with a maize flavour.

How is mole de olla served?

It is served very hot in a deep dish or large bowl, with a generous portion of broth, pieces of meat, all the vegetables and chochoyones. Each guest seasons it with a squeeze of lime, chopped coriander, chopped white onion and sometimes piquin chilli or sour orange juice. It is accompanied by hand-made maize tortillas, ideally blue ones, and a glass of hibiscus water or lime water with chia.

Where does mole de olla come from?

It is native to central Mexico, a mestizo dish of rural cooking with pre-Hispanic foundations (dried chillies, xoconostle, masa chochoyones) enriched after the conquest with beef. It is typical of the State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla and Morelos, where it is prepared on Sundays as a family meal. It was recognised as part of the Mexican intangible cultural heritage inscribed by UNESCO in 2010.

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Mole de olla: the traditional Mexican broth with xoconostle

What is it?

Mole de olla is a deep, spiced Mexican broth or soup which, despite its name, is nothing like a traditional mole paste. It consists of an intense red broth made with rehydrated dried chillies (guajillo, ancho, pasilla, mulato), beef cut in pieces with bone (shank, brisket, rib), vegetables such as sweetcorn cut in pieces, courgettes, green beans, potatoes, carrots, chayote, and the characteristic xoconostle (the sweet-tart fruit of a Mexican cactus that brings distinctive acidity). It is served hot in a deep dish or bowl with chochoyones (small balls of maize dough shaped with a finger) cooked in the broth, garnished with fresh coriander, chopped onion and lime. It is a dish of central Mexico, hearty, comforting, ideal for cold days or as the main meal at weekends.

Origin and history

Mole de olla is a mestizo dish of central Mexico with origins in the rural and country cooking of the viceregal period. Larousse Cocina notes that its name comes from the combination of mole (chilli sauce, from the Nahuatl 'mulli') and olla (cooking pot), distinguishing it from paste-moles such as the Pueblan or Oaxacan. The basic technique is pre-Hispanic: cooking meat (originally venison, peccary or birds) with rehydrated dried chillies and local vegetables in a clay pot. After the conquest, beef replaced Mesoamerican game meats. Xoconostle (Opuntia matudae or Opuntia joconostle), the fruit of the joconostle prickly pear, is an endemic pre-Hispanic ingredient that distinguishes mole de olla from other similar broths. Mexico Desconocido documents that mole de olla is a typical dish of rural villages of the State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla and Morelos, where it is prepared on Sundays as a family meal. The chochoyones are a pre-Hispanic contribution: small balls of dough with a small dimple made with the middle finger, a technique documented since Mexica times.

Characteristic ingredients

The essential ingredients of mole de olla are: beef with bone (shank, brisket, rib, neck, rump), 3-4 guajillo chillies, 2-3 ancho chillies, 1-2 pasilla or mulato chillies, garlic, onion, ripe tomato, cumin, pepper, epazote or coriander leaves, salt. Vegetables: 2 tender sweetcorn cobs in pieces, 2-3 Mexican courgettes in cubes, a handful of green beans in small pieces, 2 peeled and cut potatoes, 1-2 carrots, 1 unpeeled chayote in cubes, 3-4 peeled and cut xoconostles (the xoconostle is sweet-tart and brings distinctive acidity), and sometimes nopales in strips. The chochoyones are made with nixtamalised maize dough or instant maize flour mixed with lard, salt and broth from the mole to integrate flavour; small balls of 2 cm are formed with a dimple in the centre made with the middle finger. Preparation: simmer the meat 1-2 hours in water until tender; blend the toasted, hydrated and cleaned chillies with tomato, garlic and spices; strain the adobo and add it to the broth; add the vegetables in order by cooking time; the chochoyones at the end.

Cultural significance

Mole de olla is an iconic dish of the country and popular cooking of central Mexico, especially in states such as Hidalgo, the State of Mexico, Tlaxcala and Puebla, where it is served as the main meal on Sundays and at family gatherings. Its preparation is a weekend ritual that brings the family together around the large pot, traditionally of Tonala or San Bartolo Coyotepec clay. The presence of xoconostle is a mark of authenticity: the sweet-tart fruit of the joconostle prickly pear is harvested from March to June and only found fresh at regional markets in central Mexico (the markets of Otumba, Mixquic, Texcoco, Tulancingo). Traditional Mexican cuisine was recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, and broths such as mole de olla are part of that heritage. The xoconostle economy sustains rural communities of the Valley of Mexico and Hidalgo. Mole de olla represents the sophistication of country cooking: full use of bone-in meat, abundance of seasonal vegetables and the technique of chochoyones.

Related recipes

Now that you know what it is, try cooking it at home with our step-by-step recipes:

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between mole de olla and traditional mole?: Traditional mole (Pueblan, Oaxacan, ranchero) is a paste or thick sauce of dried chillies, spices, dried nuts and chocolate that coats the meat. Mole de olla is a broth or soup with a base of dried chillies, neither thick nor sweet, with meat in pieces and plenty of vegetables (sweetcorn, courgette, green bean, xoconostle) and chochoyones. They share toasted chillies but their final form and flavour are completely different.
What does mole de olla taste like?: It tastes of a deep beef broth with toasted-smoky notes of dried chillies (guajillo, ancho, pasilla, mulato), enriched by the moderate sweetness of tomato, the freshness of epazote or coriander, and the distinctive acidity of xoconostle that sets it apart from any other Mexican broth. The vegetables bring sweetness (sweetcorn), softness (courgette) and crunch (green bean). The chochoyones add creamy dough with a maize flavour.
How is mole de olla served?: It is served very hot in a deep dish or large bowl, with a generous portion of broth, pieces of meat, all the vegetables and chochoyones. Each guest seasons it with a squeeze of lime, chopped coriander, chopped white onion and sometimes piquin chilli or sour orange juice. It is accompanied by hand-made maize tortillas, ideally blue ones, and a glass of hibiscus water or lime water with chia.
Where does mole de olla come from?: It is native to central Mexico, a mestizo dish of rural cooking with pre-Hispanic foundations (dried chillies, xoconostle, masa chochoyones) enriched after the conquest with beef. It is typical of the State of Mexico, Hidalgo, Tlaxcala, Puebla and Morelos, where it is prepared on Sundays as a family meal. It was recognised as part of the Mexican intangible cultural heritage inscribed by UNESCO in 2010.