Savoring Puebla: The Birthplace of Mole
You have arrived in Puebla, Mexico, a colonial city of cobbled streets, tile-studded churches, Baroque spires and candy-colored mansions. But that’s not all.
You've, of course, partially come here for the town’s famed gastronomic delicacy: mole poblano, a rich-and-thick brown chili sauce known for its dozens of ingredients and hints of earthy, unsweetened chocolate (poblano refers to a native chile while mole simply translates into sauce).
First, the origin story. It’s said that mole was born in the 17th-century by a group of Spanish nuns who were trying to make a last-minute meal for a visiting archbishop. Legend says the nuns threw together whatever was in their pantry; a quick-witted, off-the-cuff concoction that included chiles, warm spices, seeds, nuts, chocolate and several-days-old bread (which the nuns apparently served over turkey). Luckily for us, the archbishop was pleased — and mole poblano was born.
These days, while ingredients and recipes vary, we know that most mole poblano batches simmer, at the very least, for three days. As for the laborious process: first, you toast the chiles and spices, carefully blending and grinding the mixture to make a paste; and then you cook the paste with flavorful stock and lard. As for that complex flavor profile? While this also ranges from kitchen to kitchen, a batch should contain uniform parts sweet, bitter and smoke.
Perhaps the town’s most famous institution for mole poblano is El Mural De Los Poblanos. Here, you’ll find a mix of tourists and locals gathered in an orange-hued space with namesake murals (created by artist Antonio Álvarez Morán) and a leafy courtyard. Helmed by chef Liz Galicia, don’t leave without trying the house speciality: five types of mole. You can also sample the trio of cemitas (burgers) and chiles en nogada (stuffed poblano chiles with a creamy walnut sauce). Digestif? Order a local pasita, a sweet raisin-like liquor served with a wedge of goat cheese.
© M.Sobreira / Alamy
Two blocks off the zocalo (main square) and located in the Quinta Esencia Hotel, you’ll find the rustic, open-kitchen eatery Augurio. Here, chef Angel Vázquez uses fourteen ingredients in his mole poblano, a homage to his great-grandmother’s recipe —and notably, sans chocolate. Also in a nod to the past, Vázquez uses traditional stone grinders to create his powder, which is then simmered with lard and chicken stock and layered on top of chicken (we suggest pairing your meal with sommelier Gina de la Mora’s lovely selection of Iberian and Spanish wines).
Credit: Augurio Restaurante
Away from the city limits and set on the grounds of a former 16th-century hacienda, Chef Ferdinand Barrales’ La Noria (est. 1989) keeps its slow-cooked mole recipe a tightly-guarded secret. Still, you won’t want to miss his house version, served on chicken with a side of red rice and black beans.
And then there’s chef Huge Minutti’s swanky, stone-hued Casa Barroca. Here, you'll discover a slightly sweeter mole, partially thanks to Minutti’s 4-plus-hour-mixture including sweetened Oaxacan chocolate and almonds. As for the winner of the most ingredients inside a mole sauce? It’s thought that restaurant Casa Reyna is said to use over 30-ingredients. Start with delicious mole pipián (thickened with ground pumpkin and sesame seeds) and graduate to mole blanco, a sauce cooked with pinion and pulque (a milky drink made with fermented agave juice).
Address Book:
El Mural De Los Poblanos, C. 16 de Septiembre 506, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Pue., México
Augurio Av 9 Ote 16, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Pue., México
Casa Barroca Av 7 Ote 205, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Pue., México
La Noria 41 poniente y 23 sur. Ex Hacienda La Noria CP 72410 Puebla, México
Restaurante Casa Reyna Privada 2 Ote. 1007, Centro histórico de Puebla, 72000 Puebla, Pue., México
