Mole is the Mexican national dish for holidays and feasts. But how and when was mole first created? Among the common folklore of its creation includes a tale from the early colonial period. According to the legend, upon hearing that the archbishop was going to visit the Convent of Santa Rosa in Puebla, the nuns were in a panic because they were poor and had nothing to prepare. They prayed about the situation and brought together the little bits of what they had to make a sauce. This included peppers, spices, day-old bread, nuts, and a little chocolate. They served the sauce on top of some turkey and the Archbishop loved it!
Red Iguana is famous for our moles (pronounced moh-lays) and we have at least 8 different types that are available regularly — Mole Negro, Amarillo, Poblano, Verde, Coloradito, Red Pipian, Mango, and Almendras. If you’d like to sample each mole currently available, ask your waiter for a mole sampler (seen below).
During his visit to the Red Iguana, Diner’s, Drive-ins, and Dives host, Guy Fieri exclaimed, “Holy Moley!” while helping owner Lucy Cardenas add ingredients to a giant vat of mole.
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