Mole (sauce)

Mole (Spanish: [ˈmole]; from Nahuatl mōlli, pronounced [ˈmoːlːi]; lit. 'sauce') is a traditional sauce and marinade originally used in Mexican cuisine. In contemporary Mexico the term is used for a number of sauces, some quite dissimilar, including mole amarillo or amarillito (yellow mole), mole chichilo, mole colorado or coloradito (reddish mole), mole manchamantel or manchamanteles (tablecloth stainer), mole negro (black mole), mole rojo (red mole), mole verde (green mole), mole poblano, mole almendrado (mole with almond), mole michoacano, mole prieto, mole ranchero, mole tamaulipeco, mole xiqueno, pipián (mole with squash seed), mole rosa (pink mole), mole blanco (white mole), mole estofado, tezmole, clemole, mole de olla, chimole, guacamole (mole with avocado) and huaxmole (mole with huaje).

The spelling molé, often seen on English-language menus, is a hyperforeignism and not used in Spanish, but likely intended to distinguish the sauce from the English word for the animal mole.

Generally, a mole sauce contains fruits, nuts, chili peppers, and spices like black pepper, cinnamon, or cumin.

Pre-Hispanic Mexico showcases chocolate's complex role, primarily as a beverage rather than a confection. Although modern culinary practices emphasize its versatility, historical evidence indicates chocolate's earlier use in sacred rituals and as currency. It was much later that chocolate was added to mole.

While not moles in the classic sense, there are some dishes that use the term in their name. Mole de olla is a stew made from beef and vegetables, which contains guajillo and ancho chili, as well as a number of other ingredients found in moles.

Two states in Mexico claim to be the origin of mole: Puebla and Oaxaca. The best-known moles are native to these two states, but other regions in Mexico also make various types of mole sauces.

Moles come in various flavors and ingredients, with chili peppers as the common ingredient. The classic mole version is the variety called mole poblano, which is a dark red or brown sauce served over meat. The dish has become a culinary symbol of Mexico's mestizaje, or mixed indigenous and European heritage, both for the types of ingredients it contains and because of the legends surrounding its origin.

A common legend of its creation takes place at the Convent of Santa Clara in Puebla early in the colonial period. Upon hearing that the archbishop was going to visit, the convent nuns panicked because they were poor and had almost nothing to prepare. The nuns prayed and brought together the little bits of what they did have, including nuts, chili peppers, spices, day-old bread and a little chocolate. They killed an old turkey, cooked it and put the sauce on top; the archbishop loved it. When one of the nuns was asked the name of the dish, she replied, "I made a mole." Mole is an archaic word for mix; now this word mostly refers to the dish, and is rarely used to signify other kinds of mixes in Spanish.