in. This conquest created Mexico's mestizaje, or mixed-blood, heritage, a continual source of pain and humiliation for the conquered people to bear. The derivation of the word mole stands as a constant reminder of the proud rulers Mexico once boasted. Yet the word itself became transformed by Spanish influence, in the same way that the country was transformed, the population was changed, and a semi-legendary nun's cooking consciously sought to blend two different cultures into the perfect concoction.
The most famous mole recipe has become mole poblano de guajolote, a complex dish of dried chilies, nuts, seeds, vegetables, spices, and chocolate, served over wild turkey. The recipe uses at least three different kinds of chilies and often as many as five, each selected for its uniquely subtle variety of spiciness. The chocolate of preference is ground, toasted cacao beans, although Mexican chocolate, such as Ibarra brand, is also acceptable. This particular recipe is often referred to as Mexico's national dish.
Both chilies and cacao beans are native to Mexico; therefore, the key ingredients in almost every mole recipe belong to the nation's original heritage (at least one recipe omits any form of chocolate whatsoever, but chilies remains essential to the mix). Only some of the additional spices, optional ingredients, and the meat over which the sauce is usually served can be credited to the Spanish conquerors. Variations include green mole with tomatillos or pumpkin seeds, orange-red mole, red mole, yellow mole, or the concoction often referred to as the "peasant soup," mole de olla. Mole itself, like the Mexican population after the conquest, remains principally true to its original native heritage.
Mole's two geographic focal points are the cities of Puebla, just south of Mexico City, and Oaxaca, further to the south and eas
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