Join us at Feria del Mole, a vibrant food festival in Mexico City that showcases the rich and diverse flavors of mole. This annual event features a variety of vendors, each bringing their unique twist to this traditional Mexican sauce.
Here are 8 must-try dishes that highlight the essence of mole:
- Mole Poblano: A classic dish featuring chicken smothered in a rich, chocolate-infused mole sauce.
- Mole Verde: A vibrant green mole made with fresh herbs and spices, perfect for pork or chicken.
- Mole Negro: A deep, dark mole with complex flavors, often served with turkey or duck.
- Mole Amarillo: A yellow mole that offers a spicy kick, ideal for grilled meats.
- Mole Rojo: A red mole that balances sweetness and spice, commonly paired with beef.
- Vegetarian Mole: A plant-based option that features seasonal vegetables and a rich mole sauce.
- Mole Enchiladas: Corn tortillas filled with cheese or meat, topped with a generous serving of mole.
- Mole Tamales: Traditional tamales filled with mole and served with a side of mole sauce.
Explore tasting maps and vendor credits to make the most of your experience at Feria del Mole. Immerse yourself in the flavors and culture of this incredible festival!
How to Taste Your Way Through Eight Moles
Eight moles in one visit is ambitious, and a little planning keeps your palate sharp from the first spoonful to the last. Mole is a family of sauces rather than a single recipe, and each style is built from a different balance of dried chiles, seeds, nuts, spices, fruit and sometimes chocolate. Tasting them side by side is the best way to understand how much variety the word covers.
Start light, finish dark
Begin with the brighter, fresher sauces. Mole verde gets its colour from green ingredients such as pumpkin seeds, tomatillo and herbs, and its flavour fades quickly next to heavier sauces. Move on to mole amarillo and the red moles, then save mole poblano and mole negro for later. Mole negro, closely associated with Oaxaca, relies on chiles toasted until very dark, and its smoky, bittersweet depth will linger on your tongue.
Pace yourself
- Share plates. Splitting dishes with friends lets you try more styles without filling up early.
- Cleanse between tastings. Plain tortillas, a little rice or water help reset your palate.
- Ask vendors about their sauce. Many moles are family recipes, and cooks often enjoy explaining which chiles or seeds they use.
- Notice the texture. Some moles are silky and pourable, others thick and almost paste-like. This tells you a lot about how they were ground and cooked.
Look beyond the plate
Enchiladas and tamales show how mole works as an ingredient as well as a sauce. Leftover mole is traditionally used to fill tamales or coat tortillas, so these dishes are a good way to see home-style cooking in action. Many vendors also sell mole paste to take home. If you buy some, ask how to thin it, as it is usually loosened with broth before serving.
Use the tasting map to plan a route between stalls, and browse the vendor pages to see who specialises in which style. If a sauce wins you over, the recipes section offers a starting point for recreating it in your own kitchen.
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