The Seven Moles of Oaxaca: Negro, Rojo, Coloradito, Amarillo, Verde and More

What all Oaxacan moles have in common

A mole is a thick sauce built on dried chiles. Everything else varies: some moles add cacao, some add nuts and seeds, some lean on fresh herbs and tomatillo. Every one of them starts with chiles that are toasted, soaked and ground, then cooked slowly until the flavors come together. In Oaxaca the grinding was done on a stone metate, and the flavor of a good mole still comes from that patience.

Our moles are cooked in small batches in Oaxaca from the recipes our mom, Elisa Beristain, learned from her family. We sun dry them the old fashioned way so they keep in the pantry for over a year, and you bring them back with warm chicken broth in a few minutes. You can read more about how that works in How to make mole from dehydrated mole.

Mole Negro: the celebration mole

Mole negro is the darkest and most complex of the seven. It gets its color from chilhuacle negro chiles, a variety grown almost nowhere outside Oaxaca, along with charred chile seeds and cacao. Ours uses more than 20 ingredients and comes out dark and rich, a little sweet from the chocolate, with a slow, nutty heat.

In Oaxaca this is the mole for weddings, baptisms and Día de Muertos. It is traditionally served over turkey or chicken with rice and warm tortillas. See our Mole Negro.

Mole Rojo: the classic

If someone has never tried mole, we hand them mole rojo. It is built on dried guajillo and ancho chiles with almonds and warm spices, cooked down into a deep red sauce that is rich without feeling heavy. It has a touch of sweetness and a gentle warmth that most people love on the first spoonful.

Mole rojo is wonderful over chicken and is the mole we reach for when we roll enchiladas. See our Mole Rojo.

Mole Coloradito: the everyday red

Coloradito means "a little red," and that brick red color is how you spot it. Guajillo chiles, cacao and sesame give it a smoky sweetness that goes with almost anything. In Oaxacan homes this is the weekday mole, the one that ends up on chicken with rice on a Tuesday, in enchiladas on the weekend, and over fried eggs the next morning.

If you want one mole that does everything, start here. See our Mole Coloradito.

Mole Amarillo: golden and herbal

Mole amarillo is the one that surprises people, because it has no chocolate at all. It gets a golden orange color and a clean heat from chilhuacle amarillo and costeño chiles, and in Oaxaca it is often finished with hoja santa and thickened with a little corn masa. It tastes brighter and more savory than the dark moles.

Amarillo is a stew mole. It goes with chicken and vegetables, inside tamales, and in the famous empanadas de amarillo sold in Oaxacan markets. See our Mole Amarillo.

Mole Verde: the fresh one

Mole verde is made with toasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), tomatillo, fresh herbs and green chiles, so it tastes bright and green instead of dark and smoky. In Oaxaca you will also hear it called pipián verde because of the pumpkin seeds. It is the lightest of the seven.

Verde is a natural match for pork and chicken, and it is the mole we toss with roasted vegetables. See our Mole Verde.

Chichilo and Manchamanteles: the two you rarely see

Chichilo is smoky and dark, made with chilhuacle negro, charred tortillas and chile seeds, and usually cooked with beef. It is the hardest of the seven to find, even in Oaxaca. Manchamanteles means "tablecloth stainer." It is a fruity red mole with pineapple and plantain cooked into an ancho chile base, and it is sweeter than any of the others. We do not make these two yet, but if you visit Oaxaca, order them.

Side by side

Which mole should you try first?

• Never had mole: start with Mole Rojo. It is the most approachable.
• Want the famous one: Mole Negro is the mole Oaxaca is known for.
• Cook on weeknights: Mole Coloradito goes with the most things.
• Prefer lighter, brighter food: Mole Verde or Mole Amarillo.
• Cannot decide: the 5-Flavor Bundle has one pouch of each so your family can pick its favorite.