Green pipián: the pre-Hispanic sauce of pumpkin seed and hoja santa

What is it?

Green pipián is one of the oldest sauces in Mexican cuisine, with clearly pre-Hispanic origins. Its name comes from the Nahuatl 'pixotl' (pumpkin seed) or from 'pepián', a Mesoamerican ritual stew based on pumpkin seeds. Toasted pumpkin seed is the starring ingredient and natural thickener, complemented with miltomate (green tomato), serrano or green jalapeño chilli, hoja santa, epazote, coriander and, in some regions, romaine lettuce or radicchio to reinforce the green colour. It is an emblematic dish of Puebla, especially Tepeaca, where it is considered a heritage recipe, as well as of central Mexico (State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Morelos) and Oaxaca. It is traditionally prepared with chicken or pork, although it can also be made with rabbit, duck or fish. Its texture is thick, granular, and its characteristic bright green colour. It is one of the Mexican dishes with the greatest historical continuity from pre-Hispanic times to the present, considered a living treasure of the Mesoamerican recipe book by culinary historians.

Origin and history

Green pipián is of fully pre-Hispanic origin, according to ethnobotanical and archaeological documentation. Fray Bernardino de Sahagún, in the 16th-century Florentine Codex, described stews called 'pipiyan' or 'pipián' prepared by the Mexica with pumpkin seeds, chilli and vegetables, offered at ritual banquets. The pumpkin is one of the three sacred crops of the Mesoamerican milpa alongside maize and beans, and its seeds (pepitas) were prized as nutritious and ritual food. Hoja santa, another key ingredient, was used as a sacred seasoning and digestive since preclassic times. During the colonial period, green pipián maintained its Mesoamerican character without major modifications, which distinguishes it from baroque moles that incorporated many European ingredients. It appears described in New Spain and 19th-century recipe books as a regional dish. Today it is part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010. Turismo Puebla magazine highlights green pipián from Tepeaca as one of the state's identity dishes.

Characteristic ingredients

The traditional green pipián recipe begins by lightly toasting peeled (green) pumpkin seeds until they crackle, without letting them burn so they do not turn bitter. They are ground with raw or lightly cooked miltomate (green tomato), serrano or green jalapeño chilli, garlic, onion, hoja santa, epazote, coriander and a little cumin. Some versions add romaine lettuce, radish leaves or radicchio to intensify the green colour. The sauce is fried in pork lard or vegetable oil over medium heat without stopping stirring (important: pipián splits easily if poorly cooked or if the oil is too hot), and diluted with chicken broth. It is cooked with chicken, pork or rabbit. The consistency should be thick, granular and shiny, with intense green colour. Regional variants: in Tepeaca, Puebla, abundant epazote is used; in Oaxaca it contains hoja santa as the protagonist; in the State of Mexico chepiche is included; in Morelos a brothier version is preferred. Green pipián is a technically demanding dish: it requires controlled temperature and constant movement to avoid splitting.

Cultural significance

Green pipián is one of the dishes with the greatest historical continuity in Mexican cuisine, considered a living treasure of the pre-Hispanic-Mesoamerican recipe book. Its uninterrupted presence from before the conquest to today makes it an exceptional gastronomic testimony. SECTUR and the government of Puebla promote green pipián from Tepeaca as regional heritage, giving it special tourist and cultural value. Cooks such as Lula Bertrán, Margarita Carrillo Arronte and Alicia Gironella have taken it to Mexican haute cuisine. It is part of Traditional Mexican Cuisine, UNESCO Intangible Heritage of Humanity 2010. It economically supports producers of pumpkin seed from central Mexico and producers of hoja santa from the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Veracruz and Oaxaca. Pumpkin seed, a nutritional food rich in magnesium, zinc, iron and proteins, is promoted by SADER and the Secretariat of Health as a healthy ingredient of the ancestral traditional Mexican diet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between green pipián and green mole?

Both are Mexican green sauces, but green pipián is thickened with ground pumpkin seed (its starring ingredient), while Oaxacan green mole uses maize masa as a thickener. In addition, pipián has a more granular texture from the seeds, while green mole is silkier. Pipián is pure pre-Hispanic; green mole has a Mesoamerican origin with mestizo adaptations.

Why does green pipián 'split'?

Because the fat of the pumpkin seed separates easily from the water if cooked at too high a temperature or if it is not stirred constantly. To avoid this, fry the paste over medium-low heat and add the broth little by little while stirring without stopping. If it splits, it can be recovered by adding warm water and beating vigorously, although it is better to prevent it from the start.

Which pumpkin seed is used for green pipián?

Peeled (shelled) pumpkin seed, of bright green colour. Seeds from the pepitorra pumpkin or calabaza de Castilla are used, lightly toasted on the comal until they crackle without burning. Green pumpkin seed is a native Mexican ingredient, part of the milpa system, and provides protein, healthy fats and minerals. The shelled seed is not used because it makes the result bitter and ruins the texture.

Where does green pipián come from?

It is of pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican origin, with documented presence before the conquest in the Mexica, Tlaxcalan and Puebla cultures. Today it is considered an identity dish of Puebla (especially Tepeaca), central Mexico (State of Mexico, Tlaxcala, Morelos) and Oaxaca. It is one of the dishes with the greatest historical continuity in the Mexican recipe book, passed down without interruption since pre-Hispanic times.