Red pipián: traditional recipe with pumpkin seed, guajillo and peanut

What is it?

Red pipián is the orange-reddish variant of Mexican pipián, a sauce of pre-Hispanic origin whose starring ingredient is toasted pumpkin seed. Unlike green pipián — which is prepared with miltomate and green herbs —, red pipián incorporates red dried chillies (guajillo, ancho, chipotle, chile de árbol and sometimes Mexican pasilla) that contribute colour, heat and smoky notes. It is complemented with sesame, peanuts, tomato, onion, garlic and spices such as cumin, clove and pepper. It is an emblematic dish of central Mexico, especially Puebla, Tlaxcala, the State of Mexico, Morelos and Oaxaca. It is traditionally prepared with chicken, pork or turkey, although it can also accompany fish, rabbit or duck. Its texture is thick and granular from the ground seeds, and its colour ranges from orange to deep red depending on the predominant chilli. It is one of the most balanced dishes in the Mexican recipe book: it combines the toasted nutty flavour of the seeds with the sweetness of tomato and the moderate heat of 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 cuisine a family of ritual stews based on ground pumpkin seed and chilli. Fray 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 peanuts (actually native to the Americas), creating the version that is currently prepared. It appears in 18th-century New Spain recipe books and in the 'Nuevo cocinero mexicano' of 1858 as 'pipián colorado' or 'pipián rojo'. The master Ricardo Muñoz Zurita documents it extensively in the Diccionario Enciclopédico de Gastronomía Mexicana. It is part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010. It is a dish with the greatest historical continuity in central and southern Mexico.

Characteristic ingredients

The traditional red pipián recipe combines toasted pumpkin seed (the starring ingredient) with chile guajillo, chile ancho, chile chipotle and, optionally, chile de árbol for heat. The pumpkin seeds are toasted on the comal until they crackle without burning. The chillies are hydrated, 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 pork lard or vegetable oil over medium heat without stopping stirring — important to avoid splitting —, diluted with chicken broth and slowly cooked. It is served with chicken, pork or turkey. Regional variants: in Puebla it is preferred with more guajillo and ancho; in Oaxaca it includes red costeño chilli; in Morelos it has more peanut; in Tlaxcala a version is made with epazote for fragrance. The ideal consistency is thick, granular, shiny and of deep red or intense orange colour depending on the chillies used in the preparation.

Cultural significance

Red pipián is one of the most representative dishes of traditional Mexican cuisine in the centre and south of the country. It economically supports 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 peanuts. Puebla cuisine recognises it as one of its main identity dishes alongside mole, chiles en nogada and the Puebla cemita. It is a common dish in fondas, 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 haute cuisine menus. It is part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010. Pumpkin seed, a healthy ingredient rich in minerals and proteins, is promoted by SADER and the Secretariat 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 sauces with dried chillies, but red pipián is based on pumpkin seed as the starring ingredient and thickener, while mole poblano uses various dried fruits, bread, plantain and chocolate. Pipián has a granular texture from the seeds; mole is silky. Pipián is pre-Hispanic with slight colonial additions; mole is more elaborate and complex mestizo baroque.

Which chilli is used for red pipián?

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

What does red pipián taste like?

It is complex: it combines the toasted-nutty flavour of pumpkin seed and sesame, the fruity sweetness of guajillo and ancho chilli, the smoky notes of chipotle, the acidity of tomato and 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 documented presence in central Mexico (Mexica, Tlaxcalan, Puebla) and Oaxaca (Zapotec, Mixtec). 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 from before the arrival of the Spaniards.