The sauce of Mexico π²π½
It's Saturday evening. We just cooked an awesome seafood dinner and annoyingly our guests need to leave quickly due to curfew reasons. It leaves a sour aftertaste for a joyful evening. I was feeling a bit down, and one of the best ways to cure that is through an episode of Netflix's: Chef's Table. A series that mostly highlights an emotional and human story to food. Giving both neutral viewers and food nerds something to chew on
Enrique Olvera
One of my favourite episodes is the one of Enrique Olvera. A chef that doesn't like to be named a chef but just Enrique, being a chef is just a part of who is. He is fueled by a constant exploration of Mexico's ingredients and culinary history, and inspired by his early family memories about food.
He is the owner of one of the best restaurants in the world called Pujol located in Mexico-City. He aims to explore Mexican cuisine as it is such a broad kitchen. Mexican cuisine is globally known but in the same light as Italian cuisine. Often in quite a one dimensional light, pizza and pasta for the Italian cuisine and guacamole and quesadillas for the Mexican cuisine.
But unknown to the public eye, Mexican cuisine is much richer than just that. With a variety of 80 different types of corn, there are lots of paths to take. Enrique went on an explorative path to find the true spirit of Mexican cuisine. One of his iconic dishes is Mole.
Mole
Dark, deep and intense. Mole originates from the area of Puebla. A mountainous colonial city to the East of Mexico-City. The origins of the dish lie in two different legends.
The first says that 16th Century nuns learned that the Archbishop was coming for a visit. The nuns panicked as they certainly didn't expect a visit. The nuns started praying out of desperation. The prayers were heard and an angel came down to inspire them.
The nuns saw the light and rushed to the kitchen and started chopping, grinding, roasting and mixing different types of chillies together with spices, stale bread, nuts and chocolate. The sauce was simmered for house and reduced to a thick, sweet, rich and fragrant sauce.
To pair the mole they killed the only meat running around the farm. A good ole turkey. The sauce was poured over it and Mole Poblano was born.
The Archbishop arrived and he was delighted with this angelic creation and the nuns saved their reputation.
Spanish Gods
Another legend states that mole originates from pre-Hispanic times. The then Aztec king, Moctezuma thought that the colonists who had just arrived were gods. They gave a banquet with mole as its centrepiece. This story probably gained credibility because the word mole comes from the Nahuati (Aztec) word βmilliβ which means sauce. The Spanish probably thought of themselves that they were indeed gods
Family Mole
Each Mexican mother has her own mole recipe, that has been passed on from generation to generation. One of the downsides of the mole is its preparation time. Mole usually has to be cooked for hours upon hours. Therefore is usually made in large batches, too big for a home blender or mill. When it is cooked it is to be brought to a large neighbourhood mill, to smoothen it. It is not an unusual sight to see women walking home from the mill with buckets of mole for a party.
The Moles ofΒ Oxcaxa
In the South-East of Puebla, there is a region named Oxcaxa (waΛhaka). Oaxaca is truly a Walhalla for food. From deep-fried insect to roasted meats to complex taco's, Oxcaxa has it all. The moles from Oxcaxa are nicknamed "The 7 moles of Oaxaca". Here is a small summary of the different moles from this culture-rich region.
Mole negro
The mole the nuns served to the archbishop.
Mole rojo
Mole rojo, the spiciest of the seven moles, with chillies and sesame seeds are its core. Unlike the chillies in mole negro, chilli ancho and chilli guajillo are lightly toasted, which preserves their red colour. Mole rojo is usually served with pork and sprinkled
Mole coloradito
Mole coloradito, the sweetest of the moles. With the stars of this mole; bananas, raisins, and cinnamon
Mole amarillo
For this mole, bright orange Amarillo chillies are used. Combine it with different spices which are more green-ish. This mole pairs well with lighter dishes such as fish and chicken.
Mole manchamantel
The literal translation of manchamantel is "table cloth stainer". The sauce does exactly that! A fruity and bright red mole with fresh pineapple, tomatoes and chorizo
Mole chichilo
Rich beef stock is the backbone of this sauce. This mole pairs excellent with braised dishes. Arbol, guajillo and ancho chilies are the star of the show.
Mole verde
his mole gets its flavour and colour from extra pumpkin seeds, cilantro, tomatillos, and jalapeΓ±os. Fresh herbs stand in place of chocolate, giving the sauce an added brightness that other moles lack.
Olvera's Mole
Back to Olvera's mole. He went on numerous trips to Oaxaca to find inspiration and learn everything about the moles of the region.
I told you Mole needs to cook long right? Well, his mole has been cooking for 2055 days and counting. A piece of Foodistory right there. A bit of explaining to do...
So in baking, you have the term, "starter dough". Basically, a fermented dough that you use together with regular flour so you get an airy and light dough that is also easy to digest. This dough is also known as sourdough.
Enrique's mole is basically a living project. Every time the mole runs out they use the starter mole that has been cooking in the pot for 2055 days. They start remaking and refilling the mole and use seasonal ingredients. Over time the mole has grown more and more complex and eventually becoming the world's most famous mole.
Mexico's reputation
The Mexican kitchen is one of the most well-known kitchens in the world. Go on the streets and ask a random person and he probably knows the taco. At the same time, it is one of the most under the radar cuisines. With icons like mole still relatively unknown in the public realm. A pity because who doesn't want to have a tablecloth stainer at home?