Did you know that mole sauce was invented as early as the 17th century? It is believed that a nun in a convent in Puebla invented this unique sauce to honor an archbishop who was soon to be visiting the town. Others believe that this sauce has its roots in the cuisine of the ancient Aztecs. 

Whatever the origin of this sauce may be, it has been around for a long time and it is still as popular as ever. But what is mole sauce, you might ask? Are mole sauce recipes hard to follow and what kind of ingredients might be in this sauce?

Above all, what are the different ways you can eat mole sauce? If you're asking yourself these questions, you're in the right place to find your answers. Keep reading and learn more about what mole sauce is and how this sauce can not only spice up all your favorite Latin food options but improve the flavor of non-Latin meals as well. 

 

What Is Mole Sauce Exactly?

Mole sauce is not your typical spicy sauce. In fact, if you've never seen or tasted this sauce before, you might find it to be quite strange. From afar, this sauce looks more like liquid chocolate rather than anything you might slather on your favorite dinner. 

The thing about mole is that there are actually many types of sauce that mole embodies. Because mole is such an old sauce, it is no surprise that there are many variations that incorporate many different kinds of ingredients. However, if you're looking for a traditional type of mole sauce, there are a few important ingredients that you will need to stick with. 

In particular, the most common ingredients in mole sauce include chile peppers, tomatoes or tomatillos, and chocolate. Yes, you heard that right. Chocolate is indeed in this sauce and that fact doesn't make it a dessert sauce. 

The trick to putting chocolate in this sauce is that there should only be a slight hint of chocolate when you taste it. If all you taste is chocolate, then there's way too much of it in the sauce. The reason why mole is so popular is likely because it embodies the perfect mix of sweet and spicy. 

There are even some sour flavors mixed in.

What You Need to Know about Mole

This is a thick rather than watery sauce which makes it quite versatile and also gives it an amazing texture. If you try to make mole and find that it is runny or watery, it isn't ready. 

If the mole isn't thick enough, you won't be able to enjoy what a delicacy it really is. Keep in mind that if you think you don't like mole, there are many different moles you can try. In fact, there are several dozen different types of mole sauces so there is sure to be at least one type that will satisfy your palette. 

For example, many traditional mole sauces employ two different types of chile peppers. If you don't like the taste of one of the peppers, you can always substitute another. Or, if you don't want the sauce to be too spicy, you can always add fewer spices. 

Let's see how mole sauce can complement different meals and how the different mole flavors can bring out the flavors of a particular meal. 

Serve Mole over Some Rice

Let's be honest: everyone can agree that rice on its own doesn't have a lot of flavor. You can add some salt or butter to it, but the rice will still remain relatively bland. This is especially true for white rice. 

However, you don't have to settle for bland rice ever again if you incorporate mole sauce into your meal. When it comes to sauce options for rice, mole may not be the first thing that pops into your mind. You might think of Italian or Asian flavors to go with rice, but what about traditional Mexican flavors?

The great thing about rice is that because it is so bland, you can add virtually any kind of flavor to it and it will taste much better. Mole sauce is no exception. In fact, mole sauce might be the perfect sauce for rice because it is so flavorful. 

But how should you go about adding mole to rice in the first place? As it turns out, it isn't hard at all. To start, you will want to make sure that you don't drown your plate of rice in mole. 

While mole is indeed delicious, the last thing you want to do is drink it down like it's a carafe of beer. After all, mole is known to have somewhat of an intense flavor, especially if you like to add plenty of chile peppers to yours. For that reason, you should only put as much mole sauce onto your rice as you feel comfortable.

Usually, less is more.

How to Add Mole to Your Rice

Putting too much mole on your rice might make the rice mushy which, of course, is not ideal. Try creating a small indentation in your pile of rice as you would with mashed potatoes. Then, pore a bit of mole into the indentation. 

That way, you can control how much mole you want to cover your rice. You will find that the taste of the mole will complement the rice very well. The texture of the rice will go especially well with the thick texture of the sauce. 

A thinner sauce would simply absorb into the rice and make the rice soggy and bloated. The mole will also be able to give the rice plenty of flavor. In fact, by adding this sauce to a plate of rice, you will find that the rice can become an entire meal of its own instead of just a side. 

You might even discover that rice covered in mole might soon become your new favorite meal. 

Pour Mole over Chicken, Pork, or Beef

You've surely poured some A1 sauce over your favorite cut of meat at least once or twice, but what about mole sauce? Many people who have never tried mole are wary to put this sauce over meat. After all, many types of mole contain fruit or chocolate. 

Won't the sweet flavors make the meat taste strange? Not at all! As mentioned before, the chocolate flavor of the sauce should be very, very light. In fact, the chocolate shouldn't even add that much sweetness to the sauce. 

Traditionally, people only added cacao beans (chocolate beans) to the sauce. These beans are not very sweet but rather bitter. However, they still are able to add that rich, earthy chocolate flavor.

Any sweet hints in the sauce that you might taste will likely come from mashed fruits or granulated sugar. If you want your mole sauce to taste more authentic and rich and not too sweet, you should ditch the granulated sugar and stick with fruits or perhaps honey. That way, the sauce will maintain most of its savory, spicy flavors while still retaining a hint of tangy sweetness. 

As with the rice, the last thing you want to do when putting mole on a piece of meat is to put on too much mole. With a small spoon, you'll want to get a spoonful of the sauce and gently drizzle it over chicken, pork, or beef. If you're feeling adventurous, you can put on two spoonfuls, but remember not to go overboard or you might soon get sick of the sauce's flavor. 

What You Need to Know

In the same way you wouldn't drown your steak in A1 sauce, you shouldn't drench a steak in mole either. Moderation is key. That way, you can still pick up the flavors of the meat itself while complementing those flavors with the tastes of the mole. 

You will find that certain types of mole will taste best with certain types of meat. For example, suppose you have a steak in front of you. Steaks are very savory and, obviously, meaty. To make sure that these savory flavors aren't too intense, you'll find that a slightly sweeter mole sauce will do best to complement a steak. 

This is the same science behind BBQ sauce. BBQ sauce is sweet and it can take the edge off the meatiness of beef. Of course, while mole isn't as sweet as BBQ sauce, it can still work in the same way and give the meat a very smooth and delicious flavor without taking away from the richness of the meat itself. 

Chicken, on the other hand, is quite versatile because it doesn't have as much flavor as steak. For that reason, you can experiment with savory mole sauces, sweet mole, and even mole with a bit of a sour kick when it comes to chicken. This will also give you the opportunity to see what kind of mole best satisfies your taste buds. 

Add Mole to Eggs or Burritos

Depending on how you make your mole, you can add this sauce to just about anything. Eggs, in particular, are a great vessel to carry mole sauce into your mouth. Some people put tabasco sauce on their scrambled eggs, but why settle for plain old tabasco when you could have mole?

Keep in mind that mole is much thicker than tabasco sauce. For that reason, you'll want to use less mole, otherwise, it will overwhelm the taste of your scrambled eggs. However, the sauce will still provide a delicious and spicy bite to your eggs while also giving the eggs a much richer texture. 

Remember that you don't have to stick with scrambled eggs either. Fried eggs also go well with mole. By spooning a bit of mole sauce onto your fried eggs, the flavor of the yolk along with the mole will transform your meal into a delicious, rich delicacy. 

A great way to eat this meal is to get a big chunk of fresh bread and scoop out the sauce along with the fried eggs. Because eggs on their own don't have a lot of flavor, you can try a sweet mole sauce or a spicy variant, depending on what you feel like for the day. 

The Details

If you're not in the mood for eggs at all, you can always try pouring some mole sauce over a plate of burritos. Burritos are a typical Latin food and, of course, there's no reason why mole wouldn't go great with burritos. In the same vein, you could also use this sauce for tacos. 

When it comes to burritos, be careful when it comes to putting on the sauce. Many people are so used to dumping a bunch of sauce on their burritos that they might try to do the same with mole. However, because mole is very thick and not your typical pepper and tomato sauce you'll get from your local Mexican restaurant, you will want to be a bit more conservative with the mole. 

Spread some with a spoon across your burritos and then test the taste. If you want the flavor to be stronger, simply add more mole from there. That way, there is no risk of getting overwhelmed by the mole's flavor. 

How to Eat Mole Sauce the Right Way

Mole sauce is a delicious sauce option full of spicy and sweet flavors. It is thick and versatile and you can put it on just about anything from scrambled eggs to steak and beyond. If you want to make sure that you never make a bland meal again, mole is your solution.

For ready to eat mole ready in just 60 seconds check out the Casa Verde lentil mole.