Mole: Ancient Fusion Cooking

There are many things unique about Mexican culture. Mole (Moh-Lay) is one particular example not found anywhere else. It was always described to me as a Mexican chocolate sauce by people who had visited Mexico on holiday. I learned on my trip to Puerto Vallarta that this is a complex dish combining chilies, cocoa and spices and is as varied across Mexico’s different regions as curries are across India. Mole recipes are reflective of different regional preferences whose roots began when the Spaniards arrived and introduced new ingredients. The Mexicans had been successfully farming for centuries and had developed a culinary tradition based on their ingredients.

Mole simply means sauce. Like in Guaca-mole…Avocado sauce.

In the excitement of experiencing these new ingredients Mexicans began mixing their chilies, peanuts and pumpkin seeds with cinnamon from Sri Lanka, annis from the Orient, cloves from Indonesia, cilantro from Persia and sesame from Arabia, cleverly grilling, toasting, mashing, peeling, cutting and frying to create a rich mix of flavors impossible to duplicate if you don’t know the recipe. This is why everyone has a different Mole recipe pertaining to their particular region, family preferences or their own secret.

Chef Pablo shared the foundations with me but as with all moles it is up to me to finish it off as I choose.

So the certain thing is that Mole is early Fusion Cooking. So many ingredients form so many parts of the world that has shaped into a classical Mexican dish.

Now think! If these people were so advanced into the art of food five hundred years ago don’t you think they would be advanced in other areas as well?

Follow the link to find out more. It is truly marveling! 

Pablo de Leon. Chef of Si Senor, Puerto Vallarta destination restaurant serving authentic Mexican cuisine.

Dine under a canopy of old growth trees, in romantic candelight or in air conditioned comfort of an estate casa. All these ambiences are at Si Senor.

322 113-0064 El Centro