Suggested uses

Basic prep

Storage & handling

Store in cool, dry place.

Ingredients

Canola oil, sugar, toasted bread (wheat flour, yeast, salt), plantains, ancho pepper, mulato pepper, pasilla pepper, sesame seeds, almonds, raisins, cocoa, garlic powder, salt, spices. Contains tree nuts, wheat, sesame.

Although there are dozens of mole sauces, each with their own unique recipe, Mole poblano is perhaps the most iconic Mexican mole sauce. Deep red in color, it is an enduring symbol of Mexico’s mixed indigenous and European heritage. Complex and time consuming, mole poblano is typically made with over twenty ingredients, including the "holy trinity" of Mexican chiles (the pasilla, ancho, and mulato), toasted bread, nuts, chocolate, oils, sugar and a variety of other spices and ingredients.

According to legend, the recipe was invented in the 16th century by Sor Andrea de la Asuncion, a Dominican nun in the city of Puebla, to honor a visiting archbishop. Realizing that they had nothing to serve him, Sor Andrea combined small quantities of whatever was in the convent kitchen: chocolate, chili peppers, spices, day-old bread and nuts. The archbishop loved it, and the rest was history.

Because it was so laborious to make, mole poblano was historically reserved for ceremonies and special occasions. Now, concentrated mole poblano paste preserves the rich, complex flavor of classic mole sauce while allowing for ease of use.