Does mole poblano contain chocolate?

Yes, but in minimal quantity and in the form of Mexican table chocolate (without refined sugar). It provides body, colour and bitter nuances, not sweetness. A sauce that tastes only of chocolate is not authentic mole.

How many ingredients does original mole poblano contain?

Traditional recipes contain between 25 and 30 ingredients. Legend says Sor Andrea's original recipe had more than 100, although historically that is regarded as an exaggeration.

What is the difference between mole poblano and Oaxacan mole negro?

Mole poblano is redder, contains fewer chiles and is based on ancho, mulato, pasilla and chipotle. Oaxacan mole negro is darker (almost black), includes chilhuacle negro and charred chiles, and tends to be more complex and less sweet.

Why does mole poblano contain bread?

Bread or toasted tortilla acts as a thickener and provides toasted notes that balance the chiles and spices. It is a borrowing from Spanish cooking adapted by the nuns of Puebla.

What is mole poblano traditionally served with?

With turkey (guajolote) at large celebrations or with chicken on a daily basis, accompanied by red rice, toasted sesame on top and freshly made maize tortillas.

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Mole poblano: what it is, history, ingredients and traditional recipe

What is it?

Mole poblano is one of Mexico's most emblematic dishes: a thick, dark, complex sauce that combines dried chiles, spices, nuts, seeds, bread, chocolate and turkey or chicken stock. Its name comes from the Nahuatl molli, meaning "sauce" or "stew". Original mole poblano contains more than 20 ingredients and is traditionally served over pieces of turkey at weddings, christenings and national-holiday festivities. It originates in the city of Puebla de los Ángeles and is considered the highest expression of Mexican mestizo cooking, which fuses pre-Hispanic ingredients with products from the Old World.

Origin and history

The most famous legend places the origin of mole poblano in 1685, in the convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla, where Sor Andrea de la Asunción —a Dominican nun— is said to have improvised the dish to honour Viceroy Tomás Antonio de la Cerda y Aragón. Historians, however, acknowledge that the roots of mole are pre-Hispanic: the Aztecs already prepared molli, thick chilli sauces with cacao, tomato and seeds, described in the Florentine Codex. The current baroque version emerged in the seventeenth century in the convents of Puebla, where the nuns incorporated almonds, sesame, cinnamon, cloves and other spices brought by colonial trade with Asia and Europe via the Manila Galleon.

Characteristic ingredients

Mole poblano contains at least four kinds of dried chile: ancho (sweet and fruity), mulato (chocolatey), pasilla (earthy with raisin notes) and chipotle (smoky and spicy). To these are added spices (cinnamon, cloves, pepper, aniseed), nuts (almonds, peanuts, walnuts), seeds (sesame, pumpkin seeds), raisins, tomato, garlic, onion, toasted bread or tortilla as a thickener, table chocolate (Mexican, without refined sugar) and turkey or chicken stock. The traditional preparation takes between 6 and 12 hours: the chiles are toasted and rehydrated, the remaining ingredients are ground separately, and everything is fried in lard for hours to integrate the flavours.

Cultural significance

Mole poblano is the most representative dish of Mexican culinary identity alongside tacos, pozole and tamales. It forms part of the traditional Mexican cuisine inscribed on UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010. In Puebla it is indispensable at wedding celebrations, where pots of up to 100 litres are cooked, and at the feast of the Virgin of the Rosary. There are regional variants such as mole negro from Oaxaca, mole verde, mole amarillo, mole rojo, manchamanteles and pipián, each with its own history and characteristic chiles. On the last Sunday of October, Puebla celebrates the Mole Fair.

Related recipes

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

Ingredients to cook it

Find where to buy authentic ingredients in Mexican shops in the US:

Frequently asked questions

Does mole poblano contain chocolate?: Yes, but in minimal quantity and in the form of Mexican table chocolate (without refined sugar). It provides body, colour and bitter nuances, not sweetness. A sauce that tastes only of chocolate is not authentic mole.
How many ingredients does original mole poblano contain?: Traditional recipes contain between 25 and 30 ingredients. Legend says Sor Andrea's original recipe had more than 100, although historically that is regarded as an exaggeration.
What is the difference between mole poblano and Oaxacan mole negro?: Mole poblano is redder, contains fewer chiles and is based on ancho, mulato, pasilla and chipotle. Oaxacan mole negro is darker (almost black), includes chilhuacle negro and charred chiles, and tends to be more complex and less sweet.
Why does mole poblano contain bread?: Bread or toasted tortilla acts as a thickener and provides toasted notes that balance the chiles and spices. It is a borrowing from Spanish cooking adapted by the nuns of Puebla.
What is mole poblano traditionally served with?: With turkey (guajolote) at large celebrations or with chicken on a daily basis, accompanied by red rice, toasted sesame on top and freshly made maize tortillas.