The event will be held this May 1 in Teotitlán del Valle, Oaxaca
The mole is one of the most emblematic dishes of Oaxaca ; Its preparation includes endemic ingredients such as chilhuacle, pasilla and ancho peppers; as well as various seeds, spices and herbs. Each of the regions of the state has its own recipes and interpretations and even the famous “Siete moles de Oaxaca” are mentioned , a set of the most recognized moles in the state.
This dish of pre-Hispanic origin is usually tasted on festivities and special dates such as weddings, patron saint festivities, baptisms, Todos Santos and even funerals; and, regularly, it is accompanied with turkey, chicken or pork meats, as well as some good tortillas.
A great opportunity to test the various interpretations of this preparation is at the Mole Festival that will take place on May 1 in Teotitlán del Valle . The meeting will bring together 16 local and national gastronomic references, who will prepare the version that identifies them.
“We are proud to share with the world the greatness that Mother Earth gives us. It is a celebration in honor of the representativeness and complexity of the recipe that includes a great variety of ingredients; we will share the techniques and dishes that we cook with the soul ”, explains Carina Santiago , traditional cook and founder of the Tierra Antigua restaurant , the site that will host the event.
(Carina Santiago, from Tierra Antigua)
For the occasion, Carina will delight the attendees with a Coloradito made with red chilhuacle, ancho and pasilla mixe that will be served with pork. In the same way, he enlisted a Mole de castilla , a mole that is only prepared in Teotitlán del Valle. “The mole de Castilla has chilcostle chili peppers, it is flavored with oregano and thyme; it is thickened with bread that I cook in a wood oven and accompany it with turkey ”, explains the expert.
For her part, Aurora Toledo will cook Chileajo , an Isthmian recipe that is made with guajillo and red ancho chili peppers, peanuts, raisins, sesame, plantain, bun bread and hen from Ranch 314. “Mole is a symbol of celebration, when we taste it we feed our soul and pay homage to life; this is the best opportunity to cook together in a new stage for Mexico and the world ”, assures the founder of the famous restaurant Zandunga.
(Aurora Toledo, from Zangunga)
(Chileajo)
Another dish that can be tasted is the Huachimole offered by Olga Cabrera from the Tierra del Sol restaurant. This mole is prepared with carrots, coastal chili and cocoa; among other seeds that he roasts on a comal and grinds in a stone mill. “The preparation of mole is a ritual to the kitchen because it involves the heritage of a region, of a community, of a family. It is a ceremony to life and death since the ingredients are transformed to become a dish that will give us life ”, he explains.
(Huachimole)
Similarly, Catalina Chávez, from Mo-Kalli, will be present with a Coloradito of almonds, blueberries, cinnamon and pepper that she toasts on a comal and fries in a casserole. “I will serve it with tortillas stuffed with chicken and with pork chop with a touch of habanero pepper. It is a recipe that I am very fond of, I learned it from my mother ”, she talks.
(Catalina Chávez, from Mo-Kalli)
Likewise, Esperanza Hernández, known as Tía Lancha, will carry Segueza de chivo that she makes with toasted corn and pitiona that is ground in metate. “The goat is baked in the oven, which gives a smoky flavor.” For her part, Thalía Barrios from the Levadura de Olla restaurant will cook Mole de fiesta with pozole, this dish is cooked with ancho, guajillo and coastal chili peppers; chicken broth and thickened with masa.
Petra Valencia, originally from Miahuatlán de Porfirio Díaz, will present a Yellow Mole, made with guajillo chili, cloves, aromatic herbs and pepper; “I will serve it with dried beef that is marinated overnight and exposed to the sun for a day and then cooked and added to the mole,” said the traditional cook.
(Petra Valencia)
National mole
In addition to the presence of these mole teachers , the event will also receive special guests from various states of the country, who will present their own interpretations of mole, some of them are: Rogelio Chávez, from Tito’s Cocina de humo, in CDMX; Mario Medina, from Úrsula Cocina de Autor, in Yucatán; Obed Reyes, from Kexti´i Cocina de Mercado; Eduardo Estrella, from Veracruz; Víctor Rodríguez, from Icuam, in Guanajuato; and Jordi and Joan Casas, from El Asador Catalán.
Finally, within the framework of the Mole Festival, a tribute will be paid to teachers Abigail Mendoza (from the Tlamanalli restaurant) and Carina Santiago; as well as chef Mario Medina; due to his work in the diffusion and conservation of the traditions that characterize our country.
Not only will mole have a presence at the festival, attendees will also be able to taste yellow, red and purple corn tortillas; artisanal snows; ancestral drinks such as tejate, chocolate; and mezcal from the Tobalindo palenque in Matatlán. All this enlivened by musicians from the region.
Mole Festival
When? Saturday, May 1
Hours: from 2:00 p.m.
Where? Tierra Antigua restaurant, located in Teotitlán del Valle, 30 kilometers from Oaxaca de Juárez.
Reports and ticket sales: 951-166-6160.
Source:
The Oaxaca Post
