What Is The Mexican Mole?

Neither the small burrowing animal nor the scientific term you learned in school, the mole (pronounced moh-lay) is a source of culinary pride in Mexico. There is even a festival devoted to it! Mole is derived from moli, a Nahuatl word meaning mixture or concoction. It seems a fitting description because there is no definitive recipe for mole. A typical version may include: almonds; pumpkin seeds; raisins; and the two most fundamental ingredients, dried chilli peppers; and Mexican cocoa or chocolate. Mole is traditionally used for simmering with wild turkey, but it also infuses grilled meats with a rich, smoky flavour.

Although it is thought to have originated in a convent in Puebla de los Angeles between 1680 and 1688, there are different stories about the first mole dish. Some people credit Sor Andrea, sister superior of the Santa Rosa Convent for creating it. Others say that mole was accidentally invented when a gust of wind blew some spices into a simmering pot of wild turkey. However mole began, there's no denying its popularity today in restaurants and homes around the world.