Ola my friend! Let’s talk about Mexican food. Did you know that there’s so much more to Mexican food besides tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and nachos? Haha yeah, I figured you knew already. There are SO many Mexican food dishes to try but I want to share my experience of trying Mexican mole for the first time. That’s right, mole. Not the animal… Thank goodness.
What is mole sauce? No worries, I got you covered. But before we dive in, let me tell you, whenever you go to an authentic Mexican restaurant, you MUST try their mole sauce. Mole will have you coming back for more and more. Ready to learn more? Let’s go!
1. What is Mole Sauce?
- Mole is pronounced “mow-lay” or “moe-lay”
- Mole is a type of sauce in Mexican cuisine
- Chili is the main ingredient in most if not all versions of mole
- Other common ingredients found in mole include tomato, cumin, garlic, tomatillo, and dried fruit
- Surprise ingredient: some people make mole with chocolate
- The best-known moles are native to Puebla and Oaxaca states in Mexico according to Wikipedia
- There’s yellow, green, and red mole sauces. The taste differ across the regions in Mexico
- Mole ingredients can be grouped into five distinct classes: hot (chili), sour (tomatillo), sweet (fruit and sugar), spice and thick (seed, nut, tortilla) according to Wikipedia
2. A Delightful Introduction to Mole at El Ranchito Mexican Restaurant
I first heard about mole sauce at work. One day, my co-workers were telling me about mole and how I needed to try it since I am a big foodie. They got me so excited to try this sauce. How they described it made me think of a type of bbq sauce. They recommended El Ranchito as a good place to try mole for the first time. I could not wait to try this mole and I ended up visiting El Ranchito soon after.
El Ranchito is a Mexican restaurant located in Dallas, TX. I first checked their website to look at their mole sauce options. I chose to try the chicken mole enchilada. The service is top tier. I ordered to go and the packaging was excellent. The bag had a little weight to it so I knew the portion size was satisfactory. The price is awesome. The food quality just made me shake my hand in gratitude. The food was so delicious. Let me not get ahead of myself …
Check out El Ranchito’s website here.
3. My Reaction and Review of Mole Sauce
I opened the container and was met with a pleasant spiced, savory and sweet aroma that was strong but not overwhelming. At this point my mouth is watering and I am trying to remain calm. There was my chicken enchilada drenched in mole sauce. It came with beans, rice, tortilla chips, and salsa which were all good. Ok, I took one bite of the chicken mole enchilada and then another and then another. I’m like wait let me slow down and think about what I am tasting. It was so good that I was about to devour the entire thing without thinking about how it was my first time trying it.
Ok, my thoughts are as follows:
- Visual: It was dark reddish brown in color.
- Aroma: pleasant spiced, savory and sweet aroma that was strong but not overwhelming
- Texture: The mole reminds me of a semi-thick gravy or curry.
- Taste: It was well seasoned and tasted sweet and savory. I could taste the chili and cumin. I also could taste a little smokey flavor but the sauce was mild and not spicy hot.The sauce was oily but not to the point of distraction and/or detraction.
Overall, I enjoyed the distinct unique rich flavor and thick consistency of the sauce. My rating is 4.5/5.
4. Next steps
I have three simple next steps with no specific timeline:
- Get the chicken mole enchilada again at El Ranchito. Haha
- Try making mole sauce on my own. I already know that I will use cocoa powder and target making the sweet, spiced and thick mole sauce type. It may be a little spicy (hot) side.
- Try homemade mole sauce. Maybe one of my co-workers will make mole from scratch and let me taste their version…
Until Next Time
Well, what do you think? Have you ever tried mole sauce before? Would you want to try it if you haven’t already? Please drop a comment below or email me. I would love to hear your feedback and/or stories. If you have a taste for some good BBQ sauce and want to tap into your creative side and make some at home for the Labor Day Holiday then check out The Best Homemade BBQ Sauce Made Simple post.
Well, I will take my leave for now. I look forward to our time together again soon. Be inspired to have an appetite to Live and Live well.
Adaeze
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