Mole Magica

Enlarge Image Image Gallery Mole rojo makes a tasty topping for black bean and cheese enchiladas. Anni Betts

Mole? Perhaps we should explain. Mole (mōh-lāy) is the national dish of Mexico: a tantalizing sauce made from sautéed onions and garlic combined with exotic spices and herbs, ground nuts (such as almonds, pumpkin seeds or sesame seeds) and chiles, simmered with dark bittersweet chocolate.

Although there are countless variations of this hot sauce—from red to green to black—chiles and chocolate are at the heart of many of them. The combination of endorphin-producing chiles with chocolate creates a veritable Aztec ambrosia.

Mole traditionally is served with turkey or pork, but also pairs well with tortillas, chips, enchiladas, burritos, grilled vegetables, tamales, eggs, chilaquiles and more.

Moles of Mexico

The recipes for mole are as varied and individual as their makers, with each region and cook boasting their own versions. Chocolate is fundamental to the darker-hued moles, but is absent from mole verde and most mole amarillo, which are flavored subtly with traditional herbs and spices.

The best-known and most popular mole dishes are from Puebla and Oaxaca. Mole poblano, which originated in Puebla, is a rather elaborate preparation with chocolate, dried chiles, nuts, various spices and sometimes raisins or plantains. Oaxaca, famed for its Seven Moles, is home to mole negro (made with guajillo chiles) and mole amarillo (prepared with chile amarillo).

Veracruz and Guerrero are known for mole verde. Veracruz cooks make this fresh green mole sauce without any nuts or seeds, while the cooks of Guerrero insist that pumpkin seeds are essential.

Of course, we must not forget guacamole, the delicious avocado mole.

Today, no Mexican feast day—whether Cinco de Mayo, el Dia de losMuertos (Day of the Dead), a birthday or a wedding—is complete without at least one mole dish. You can buy prepared mole pastes and powders in Mexican markets, but they don’t compare to the sumptuous moles you can make from scratch using quality ingredients. The fragrances in the kitchen when roasting the chiles, nuts and seeds; the sautéing of the sauce redolent with alliums and chiles; and the final simmering of the spices, chocolate and other ingredients are all part of the art and pleasure of creating mole.

Here are four of our favorite mole recipes to whet your appetite.

Mole Rojo

Makes about 5 cups

This mildly spicy mole requires a little more work than some recipes, but it’s worth the effort: You can’t eat food like this in many places other than Mexico.

We use a 60 to 70 percent organic bittersweet chocolate and add a little cinnamon and sugar. If you use Mexican chocolate, omit the cinnamon and sugar and use 4 ounces chocolate instead.

Mole rojo makes a delicious sauce for black bean and cheese enchiladas, grilled meats, seafood or vegetables, and makes extraordinary huevos rancheros. For a superb stew, add cooked vegetables, cooked fowl or meat to the finished sauce and simmer gently for 10 to 15 minutes.