Who the heck has discussions like this. Well we do as we really, truly want to understand Mexican cooking and Mexican food. Let me share the heated discussion over dinner the other night with a bunch of passionate Mexican Foodies.
A chef friend of ours shared a blog post he wrote the other day ‘How the Catholic Church Influenced Mexican Food’. Super great history about the Spanish Conquest, how the Spanish used food to draw indigenous people to the Catholic Church, yada yada yada.
Part of this history surrounds the creation of Mole, a thick sauce used on chicken, pork and fish, which was created in the city of Puebla.
I will let you read the history on his post, but this history lesson provoked a discussion about the difference between a Salsa (sauce) and a Mole.
What is a Salsa?
A salsa is a sauce added to a prepared dish that is made from tomatoes, chilis, onions and seasonings. Ingredients can be roasted, cooked, or fresh. Typical Mexican salsas that many of us have heard of if not eaten or created in our own kitchen are Pico de Gallo, Salsa Verde, Salsa Rojo, or Salsa Habanero.
This seems pretty straight forward until you through Mole into the mix, one of the first recipes created from local ingredients by a Fray and a Nun in the early 1600’s.
What is a Mole
Mole is a multi-ingredient sauce that defines a dish, it is not used to enhance a dish. The name comes from the Aztec word Molli or mulli which means mixture. It is served on meat, turkey or chicken like you would a cream sauce or a mustard sauce. It can also be served like a stew where ingredients are cooked with the mole over a period of time.
Mole can have up to 30 ingredients in a recipe, each family recipe deciding what they want to put in their mole, and each region having their own mole recipe.
There is one primary ingredient that defines a mole (pronounced Moe-lay) – chilis. Some moles use just one chili variety others combine various chili varieties. What you add after that is up to you. Some regions add nuts, dried fruit, vegetables, and the famous Mole Poblano uses chocolate. This is the most popular mole known outside of Mexico, and is referred to as the chocolate sauce.
Now let’s make this very, very clear. The creators of the Mole Poblano were the Spanish, not Mexicans. There are conflicting stories as to the actual Spaniard responsible for this serendipitous cooking error, but today Mole both the Mole Poblano and the other Mole recipes are a defining dish for Mexico.
Is a Mole a Sauce? Is a Salsa a Mole?
Our discussion went well into the evening, with arguments coming back to the Aztec word molli, which means both sauce and mixture. What we could agree on was that a salsa enhances a dish where as a mole defines a dish. That is really the defining difference between these two sauces.
Where To Try A Good Mole in the Riviera Maya
There are two great places to try Mole. Cueva de Chango in Playa del Carmen served Mole Poblano on their menu. Located at 38th Street and 5th Avenue you are sure to have a great meal at this super cool restaurant that has been in Playa for 20 years!
The other great place to experience mole is Cetli in Tulum. Located in the pueblo, Chef Claudia was one the first to bring ancestral recipes to the Riviera Maya. Claudia has a few moles on her menu which we think is a great way to taste, compare and learn about this regional sauce. If you are interested in learning more about authentic Mexican dishes, Claudia is your resource and a great chef.
I love these discussions about food, food history and how recipes have changed and adapted within Mexico. It is fascinating and intriguing all at the same time, and provides an incredible history lesson.