How to make mole like a Mexican – there is more to the rich sauces than chilli and chocolate

Oaxaca seems to be a magical place, at least, it does the way American restaurateur Bricia Lopez lovingly describes the Mexican state where she was born. In the introduction to her cookbook, Oaxaca (2019), she writes, “All along the south­eastern reaches of Mexico, nestled along­side the Pacific Coast one state away from Central America, lies a land of rugged mountains, narrow canyons, arid flatlands, lush valleys and a blue sky that goes on as far as the eye can see. It is a land of ancient villages and the home of Zapotecos, Mixtecos, Mazatecos, Mixes, and many other proud indigenous communities.

In 1994, Lopez’s parents, Fernando and Maria, opened Guelaguetza, an Oaxacan restaurant in Koreatown, Los Angeles, California, that has since become an institution. In the book, Lopez writes, “I grew up eating tortillas made from masa nixtama­lized by my hardworking mother the previous night and ground fresh almost every morning. Our beans were cooked with wild herbs plucked fresh from the soil, and we ate every combination of chiles, tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, and garlic that you can imagine.

“I come from a long lineage of Oaxacan mezcaleros – craftsmen and cooks who specialize in making our famous liquor, now beloved around the world, from roasted agaves. These deep Oaxacan flavors are ingrained deep inside me […] These are the flavors my family has always strived to offer our guests at our restaurant, Guelaguetza.”

The restaurant, which Lopez and her siblings took over after their parents retired, in 2013, is famous for Oaxacan moles – rich, complexly flavoured sauces that can be eaten simply with tortillas or simmered with meats. Because they take a long time to prepare, moles are usually reserved for celebrations. They can contain more than 30 ingredients – several types of dried chillies, chocolate, fresh fruit, spices, nuts and seeds.