For those who have never been to Puebla, Mexico, you are in for a treat if you join me on my tour to Puebla and Mexico City in October from the 8th to 17th.
Some of the most famous dishes of Mexico originated in Puebla and many of the specialties have very interesting legends behind them.
Puebla’s culinary tradition, known as Cocina Poblana, is popular throughout Mexico. A distinctive feature of the region’s cooking is mole, a rich, spicy sauce containing chocolate, cinnamon, a variety of other spices and nuts as well as different types of hot peppers.
The most iconic dish is the world-famous Mole Poblano. Usually served with chicken, pork, enchiladas or tamales, mole is actually used to describe any kind of salsa that is described in the way it is made, moler means "to grind" in Spanish.
There are so many moles out there, like mole de Pipián, made with pumpkin seeds. There is one dish that I had in Mexico City at one of my favorite restaurants, Los Limosneros, a Mole Rosa con Pollo (pink mole with chicken). (This will be one of the many wonderful places we will eat at after spending a few days in Puebla.) I finally tracked down the recipe for this mole! It has a phenomenal array of ingredients: almonds, peanuts, pinon nuts, sesame seeds, garlic, onion, habaneros, chili gueros, bread, banana, cinnamon, star anise, allspice, cloves, cranberries, beets and chicken stock.
Oaxaca, on the other hand, is often nicknamed the "Land of the Seven Moles": colorado, mole negro, mancha manteles, verde, amarillo, chichilo and coloradito. When in Oaxaca, I take my group to La Merced market where we start the day off by having a tamale tasting breakfast. I have to say, the Mole Amarillo is one of my favorites.
Mole Coloradito is also one of my favorites! Check out my next post on my Blog when I share with you my recipe on how to make Oaxacan Tamales with Mole Coloradito wrapped in banana leaves! They are sublime.
But mole is sacred in Puebla! Legend that the Dominican nun, Sor Andrea de la Asuncion, created the famous Mole Poblano when she found out that she had a very special guest coming for dinner. In 1697 or 1698, the Bishop of Puebla heard that the viceroy of New Spain was paying a visit to town. In haste, she cleaned out her kitchen crocks and created the first mole: made of more than 25 ingredients. Grinding chilies with a pestle and adding a variety spices, chocolates, garlic & turkey to create this special meal. The sisters were so impressed with her creation, that one nun broke her silence and exclaimed, "Hermana, que bien mole!" - "Sister, how well do you grind!" Somehow, this enthusiastic announcement by the one sister sounds much better in Spanish!
The viceroy was so impressed with this new creation, as a gift to the nuns, he had their entire kitchen tiled in the local Talavera tile. We will be visiting this beautiful space on one of the days we are in Puebla.
Chiles en Nogada is another celebrated dish of Puebla. They are poblano chiles stuffed with picadillo (a mixture of minced meat, mostly beef and pork, fruits and spices) bathed in nogada, a walnut cream sauce and garnished with pomegranate seeds. It is a festive dish typically served in the month of September to celebrate Independence Day because the colors of the dish are said to resemble the colors of the Mexican flag, green, white and red.
According to Puebla legend, it was the Augustine nuns who were called upon to prepare a special feast for General Agustin de Iturbide who was the commander in charge of the Mexican War of Independence when victory was achieved. He later became Mexico's first emperor. After signing the treaty that gave Mexico its independence, he stopped in Puebla on his way to Mexico City from Veracruz for a celebratory dinner in his honor.
When in Puebla on the first part of my tour this fall, we will dine at El Mural Los Poblanos, famous for their moles and Chiles en Nogoda.
We will be staying at the Mesón Sacristía de la Compañía in Puebla, an eight-room boutique hotel beautifully decorated with antiques and bright colors just a few blocks from the main square. I have reserved the entire hotel and I have one room still available.
If interested in joining me, please contact me at: robindsg@aol.com.
For more information on the itinerary, check out my post on my Blog, "Travel the ages... From the colonial town of Puebla to the lavish culture of Mexico City" posted on January 10th.
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