What is the Sauce Called Mole?
The Mexican sauce called mole (pronounced moh-lay), actually refers to a number of different sauces. These are often casually defined as any Mexican sauce that contains chocolate, but such individual sauces or dishes made with mole can utilize many different ingredients. Mole is a derivative of the Aztec word molli which translates to stew or sauce, or is thought of as a blend of ingredients. There are manty origin stories for mole, most agreeing the sauce was first invented in the late 17th century and was an attempt to blend New World ingredients like chocolate with Old World spices. Many believe mole may have been an invention of Sister Superior Andrea of the Santa Rosa convent, as a way of thanking the Archbishop for building the convent at Puebla de Los Angeles, in Mexico.
