page_title: Mole sauce
section_title: Other
hierarchical_section_title: Mole sauce / Varieties / Other
caption_attribution_description: Clay pots with simmering dishes at a street stand in Chalma, Malinalco, Mexico State. In the front row from left to right are black beans, pork in chile verde (green chili sauce), "tinga" (shredded chicken in a red chili sauce), chicken in "pipian" sauce, a type of mole
context_page_description: Mole is a traditional marinade and sauce originally used in Mexican cuisine. In contemporary Mexico the term is used for a number of sauces, some quite dissimilar, including black, red / Colorado, yellow, green, almendrado, de olla, huaxmole, guacamole, and pipián. Outside of Mexico, it typically refers to mole poblano.
  Generally, a mole sauce contains a fruit, chili pepper, nut, and such spices as black pepper, cinnamon, or cumin. A type of green mole known as mole verde is made with pumpkin seeds and green chile.
context_section_description: Various types of mole sauces can be found throughout the center of Mexico toward the south. There is the mole amarillito of the southeast, the mole coloradito of the Valley of Mexico (as opposed to the mole of the same name in Oaxaca), the mole prieto of Tlaxcala, mole ranchero from Morelos, and more. Taxco has a pink version of mole, called mole rosa. The spiciness of this version is very mild. The word guacamole (avocado sauce) is derived from "guaca" (from “aguacate” or avocado) and the word mole.
  Pipián is a type of mole which mostly consists of ground squash seeds. It generally contains tomatillos, hoja santa, chili peppers, garlic and onions to give it a green hue. There is also a red version, which combines the squash seeds with peanuts, red jalapeños or chipotle, and sesame seeds. Like other moles, it is cooked with broth and then served with poultry and pork, or sometimes with fish and vegetables.
  Mole verde can refer to a number of different sauces that all finished with a green color. Most of these must be made fresh and not from a mix, as they require a number of fresh herbs and other ingredients. Another version comes from Veracruz, where pork is covered in a sauce made from ground peanuts, tomatillos and cilantro, with the last two giving the sauce its green color.
  While not moles in the classic sense, there are some dishes that use the term in their name. Mole de olla is a stew made from beef and vegetables, which contains guajillo and ancho chiles, as well as a number of other ingredients found in moles. Huatzmole is a mole sauce variation, which is soupy and often served over goat meat (cabrito).
  In Guatemala, mole is a dessert sauce made from dried chilis, tomatoes and pumpkin seeds. It is often poured over fried plantains, and served with sesame seeds on top.
caption: Mole and other dishes simmering in cazuelas in Chalma, Malinalco, Mexico State
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