Red pipián: what it is, ingredients and how to make it

What is it?

Red pipián is the orange-red-toned variant of Mexican pipián, a salsa of pre-Hispanic origin whose lead ingredient is the toasted pumpkin seed. Unlike green pipián —which is made with miltomate and green herbs— red pipián incorporates red dried chillies (guajillo, ancho, chipotle, chile de árbol and sometimes Mexican pasilla) that provide colour, heat and smoky notes. It is complemented with sesame, peanut, tomato, onion, garlic and spices such as cumin, clove and pepper. It is an emblematic dish of central Mexico, especially of Puebla, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, Morelos and Oaxaca. It is traditionally prepared with chicken, pork or turkey, though it can also accompany fish, rabbit or duck. Its texture is thick and grainy from the ground seeds, and its colour ranges from orange to intense red according to the predominant chilli. It is one of the most balanced dishes in the Mexican recipe book: it combines the toasted-nut flavour of the seeds with the sweetness of the tomato and the moderate heat of the dried chillies.

Origin and history

Red pipián shares the pre-Hispanic origin of green pipián. The word 'pipián' derives from the Nahuatl 'pixotl' (pumpkin seed) and designated in Mesoamerican cooking a family of ritual stews based on ground pumpkin seed and chilli. Friar Bernardino de Sahagún, in the 16th-century Florentine Codex, described various pipiyanes prepared with red chillies and seeds at Mexica banquets. During the colonial period, red pipián was enriched with European ingredients such as sesame (of Asian origin, arrived via the Philippines) and peanut (in fact native to the Americas), creating the version prepared today. It appears in 18th-century New Spanish recipe books and in the 'Nuevo cocinero mexicano' of 1858 as 'pipián colorado' or 'red pipián'. The master Ricardo Muñoz Zurita documents it extensively in the Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Mexican Gastronomy. It forms part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010. It is a dish of great historical continuity in central and southern Mexico.

Characteristic ingredients

The traditional recipe for red pipián combines toasted pumpkin seed (the lead ingredient) with guajillo chilli, ancho chilli, chipotle chilli and, optionally, chile de árbol for heat. The pumpkin seeds are toasted on the comal until they pop without burning. The chillies are rehydrated, and tomatoes, onion and garlic are roasted. Toasted sesame, toasted peanuts (in some versions), cumin, clove, pepper and oregano are added. Everything is ground until a thick paste is obtained. It is fried in lard or vegetable oil over medium heat while stirring constantly —important to prevent it from 'splitting'—, diluted with chicken broth and cooked slowly. It is served with chicken, pork or turkey. Regional variants: in Puebla a version with more guajillo and ancho is preferred; in Oaxaca it includes red costeño chilli; in Morelos it carries more peanut; in Tlaxcala a version with epazote is made for fragrance. The ideal consistency is thick, grainy, glossy and of a deep red or intense orange colour according to the chillies used in the preparation.

Cultural significance

Red pipián is one of the most representative dishes of the traditional Mexican cooking of central and southern Mexico. It economically sustains producers of pumpkin seed from the Bajío and central Mexico, producers of dried chillies (guajillo, ancho, chipotle) from Puebla, Zacatecas and San Luis Potosí, and producers of sesame and peanut. Puebla cooking recognises it as one of its main identity dishes alongside mole, chiles en nogada and the Puebla cemita. It is a common dish at food stalls, markets, traditional restaurants and family tables of Puebla, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, Morelos and Oaxaca. Traditional cooks such as Lula Bertrán, Margarita Carrillo Arronte, Alicia Gironella and chefs such as Enrique Olvera have included it on fine-dining menus. It forms part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010. Pumpkin seed, a healthy ingredient rich in minerals and protein, is promoted by SADER and the Ministry of Health as part of the balanced traditional Mexican diet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between red pipián and mole poblano?

Both are thick salsas with dried chillies, but red pipián is based on pumpkin seed as its lead ingredient and thickener, while mole poblano uses various nuts and seeds, bread, plantain and chocolate. The pipián has a grainy texture from the seeds; the mole is silky. The pipián is pre-Hispanic with slight colonial additions; the mole is a more elaborate and complex mestizo baroque dish.

Which chilli is used for red pipián?

The main chillies are guajillo, ancho and chipotle, in variable proportions according to the region and the family. Some versions add chile de árbol for extra heat or pasilla chilli for depth. In Oaxaca red costeño chilli is included. The specific combination determines whether the result is more orange (with more guajillo) or a deeper red (with more ancho and predominant smoky chipotle).

What does red pipián taste like?

It is complex: it combines the toasted-nut flavour of the pumpkin seed and sesame, the fruity sweetness of the guajillo and ancho chilli, the smoky notes of the chipotle, the acidity of the tomato and the spiced aromas of cumin, clove and oregano. The heat is moderate, accessible to most diners. It is a balanced, comforting dish, deeply rooted in the culinary tradition of central Mexico.

Where does red pipián come from?

It is of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican origin, with a presence documented in central Mexico (Mexica, Tlaxcaltecs, Pueblans) and Oaxaca (Zapotecs, Mixtecs). Today it is considered an identity dish of Puebla, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, Morelos and Oaxaca. Like green pipián, it is one of the dishes with the greatest historical continuity in the Mexican recipe book, passed down without interruption since before the arrival of the Spanish.