Join us at the Feria del Mole, an exciting food festival in Mexico City dedicated to the art of mole. This event showcases a variety of mole dishes, highlighting the unique flavors and traditions that make this sauce a staple of Mexican cuisine.
The Best Carter S Black is a standout feature of this festival, offering visitors a chance to taste exquisite mole recipes from talented chefs and local vendors. Each vendor brings their own twist to this beloved dish, ensuring a diverse and flavorful experience.
As you explore the festival, be sure to pick up a tasting map that guides you through the various vendors, allowing you to sample different styles and flavors of mole. The festival also includes vendor credits, making it easy to enjoy the culinary delights on offer.
Whether you are a mole enthusiast or a newcomer to this delicious dish, Feria del Mole promises an unforgettable experience filled with rich flavors and cultural heritage. Don’t miss out on this celebration of one of Mexico’s most cherished culinary traditions.
Exploring Black Mole: The Darkest Sauce on the Tasting Map
Among the many styles of mole you will encounter at a festival like this, mole negro is often the one visitors remember most. Closely associated with Oaxaca, it is the deepest and most complex of the traditional moles, and its near-black colour comes from chillies that are toasted until very dark, sometimes almost charred, before being soaked and ground.
A typical mole negro draws on dried chillies such as chilhuacle negro, mulato and pasilla, along with toasted seeds, nuts, dried fruit, spices, tortilla or bread for body, and a measure of Mexican chocolate. Every cook balances these differently, which is why two vendors can serve sauces that share a name but taste quite distinct: one smoky and bitter-edged, another rounder and gently sweet.
How to taste it well
- Start lighter, finish darker. Sample milder moles such as mole verde or amarillo first, so the intensity of mole negro does not overwhelm your palate.
- Taste the sauce on its own. Before eating it with chicken or turkey, try a little on a piece of tortilla to notice the layers of chilli, spice and chocolate.
- Keep water or a mild drink nearby. Plain water helps reset your taste between stalls.
- Ask the cook. Many vendors are happy to explain which chillies they use or how long the paste is cooked, and that conversation adds a lot to the experience.
Planning your visit
Popular stalls can get busy at peak meal times, so arriving earlier in the day often means shorter queues and a better chance of trying everything on your list. Use the festival map to mark the stalls offering darker moles, and check the vendor listings to see who specialises in regional styles. If you would like to try making a version at home afterwards, the recipes section is a good place to begin, though be prepared: a proper mole negro is a labour of patience, often prepared over many hours and traditionally made in large batches for family celebrations.
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