Holy Mole Sauce: Meet the Seven Types of Mexican Mole

Holy Mole Sauce: Meet the 7 Types of Mexican Mole Mole is more than the famous dark chocolate sauce. Some are bright and piquant or rich and filled with dried chiles. Find the one that's right for you in our handy guide.  The Seven Types of Mole Although there are many different variations on recipes for mole, there are seven main classic types of moles in Mexican cuisine (you thought there was just one, right?). The amount and types of dried chiles you use, along with what you serve it with, are ways to customize mole depending on your tastes. Let’s start with the basics and you can build from here: Mole Poblano. A red mole with lots of dried chile flavor, this is considered the national dish of Mexico. This version, from the state of Puebla, is the most widely known and is often served on dishes such as stewed meats, like braised beef or pork, as in this recipe. Mole Negro. Dark, bitter, savory, and sweet, this is the most typical mole you'll find on menus in the United States. It has more chocolate than others, usually, as well as sweet spices like cinnamon, clove, and cumin. Mole Coloradito/Colorado. Brownish-red in color, this sauce includes the common elements of dried chiles, sweet fruits, and other sweet-savory ingredients, but is thickened with mashed plantains (a starchy fruit similar to bananas). It’s lovely with chunks of pork (precook it) or on enchiladas like these from Rick Bayless of Chicago restaurants Frontera and Topolobampo. Mole Manchamantel. Known as "the tablecloth stainer," this mole is often made with the Spanish sausage chorizo (whose drippy orange grease stains everything it touches), tomatoes, and ancho chiles, as well as fresh pineapple. It's often served with chicken or pork. Mole Amarillo. Chocolate-free, and made without the dried fruits that often dot the red and brown moles, it's a spicy sauce that can be found inside chicken empanadas or served alongside vegetables. Try out this recipe for Mole Amarillo, with chicken, beef, or veggies like chayote, served alongside fresh tortillas. Mole Verde. The color can range from bright to light green, depending on the ingredients. Made with cilantro, lots of pumpkin seeds (pepitas or pipian), jalapeños, and tomatillos, it can have lots of bright, citrusy flavor and herbal notes, and is best as a topping to chicken breasts or thighs, served with black beans and rice. Atop these vegetarian tamales also sound like a great idea. Mole Chichilo. Made with a base of beef stock and thickened with masa (dough made with corn flour), it’s the rarest mole made, often prepared for special occasions. This recipe features the sauce served with beef filets and dumplings made from masa and chicharrones (deep fried pork rinds) called chochoyotes. The Secret Sauce: Finding the Best Dried Chiles Mole takes a lot of time to make, traditionally, since dried chiles need to be toasted, onions sauteed and browned. Plus, the order in which the ingredients are added matters; each one needs to be cooked for a different amount of time. Much of the success of your mole recipe will depend on the quality of the dried chiles you find. Chose chiles that are pliable and flexible, which indicates that they are fresher. If they’re brittle, they're likely very old and as a result will have weaker flavor.