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Sign up Explore our Food Tours → If you like mole – and we still haven’t met anyone who doesn’t – then a visit to pueblo of San Pedro Atocpan in Mexico City’s Milpa Alta district and its National Mole Fair which this year celebrates its 46th anniversary That the pueblo should host a mole fair makes perfect sense located about two hours directly south of downtown Mexico City is known (perhaps unofficially) as the Mole Capital of Mexico (other pueblos also stake their claim to this title) There are only about 9,000 residents and it’s believed that ninety percent of the are involved in some way in the production or sale of mole figures there are 400 mole producers in the pueblo They’re all able to thrive because they sell throughout Mexico Almost all the mole that’s eaten in Mexico City and 60 percent of the mole consumed in Mexico comes from San Pedro where at least 20 different types of mole are made all of the moles – including almendrado (the most popular) tortillas and a variety of other dishes – had a fairly humble beginning a sauce called chimulli or chilmole was served during festivals “Chilmole is a salsa of chiles and almost no spices just chile and tomatoes,” said Luís Gutierrez Romero a retired history professor who is part of a group that chronicles life in the various communities of Mexico City “It is something found in almost all the Mesoamerican cultures There are several stories about how something as simple as chilmole became something as complex as mole which typically has at least twenty ingredients “The myth speaks of mole being developed by a nun in the Santa Rosa convent in Puebla,” Romero continued I believe the process of making mole has its origins in fiestas and where people prepared food including one crediting a monk and another stating that a miraculous wind blew the ingredients into a pot they brought with them different spices and foods “[These] were mixed with our chiles to make a salsa,” said Liboado Arista Osorio “It was this combination that led to mole poblano.” said that when people from San Pedro went to Mexico City looking for work in the mid-1800s “Some learned to make mole and then they brought it back to San Pedro A few worked with friends and began producing commercial mole in 1945.” Alvarado started Moles Don Luis in 2008 and has had a stand at the fair every year since “The formula for all moles is the same,” he said “but then we add different spices or ingredients Each has twenty-five to twenty-seven ingredients We have modified them a little over the years to adjust for flavor The traditional way to make mole is to grind individual ingredients using a metate and volcanic stones Some producers did use volcanic grinding stones in their machines in the past but that’s no longer allowed “The government stopped the use of volcanic rocks in 1990,” said Alvarado “The rocks leave small pebbles in the mole.” Now Alvarado makes mole in a small room on the second floor of a building on a side street “Today we are making mole de almendra con piñon (mole with almonds and pine nuts)” he explained There are twenty-four ingredients in this mole pasillo and a little bit of chipotle.” In addition “It sterilizes the ingredients and increases their flavor.” Ingredients like nuts take a few minutes to fry while the spices and chiles are done in seconds Alvarado keeps a close eye on the process as workers pour the ingredients into the hot oil “The raisins are done when they float,” he told me “I know when the others are done by eye and by smell.” the ingredients are poured into a large grinder and ground for fifteen minutes The resulting mix is sent through a chute to the first floor where it’s ground twice more Alvarado typically makes three batches of mole a day 2,000 kgs (4,400 pounds) a week and up to ten toneladas (22 tons) a month Alvarado is 70-years-old but has the energy of a man a couple of decades younger It’s not clear how long he’ll continue to work or if he’ll ever stop There’s a small park in the center with the San Martín chapel A ten-minute walk away is the Parroquia San Pedro and a few blocks from that is the Santuario del Señor de las Misericordias there are around one hundred in town (along with some 150 shops selling mole to take home) located at kilometer 17.5 on the Xochimilco-Oaxtepec highway but it’ll set you back 10 pesos to enter Friday through Sunday There are 20 stands selling mole and 40 restaurants at the fair each with one or two people in front tempting passersby with samples but part of the fun is deciding which mole to buy and where to eat The most popular dish is a turkey leg covered with mole There are also mole enchiladas (enmoladas) loading map - please wait...Map could not be loaded - please enable Javascript!→ more information The municipality of Milpa Alta is already preparing for the 47th Mole Fair where cooks from the region come together with their tastiest preparations It’s a fact! At last the date of the 2024 National Mole Fair was announced, a gastronomic event that takes place every year in Milpa Alta this is your chance to organize your agenda and not miss the 47th edition The fair will be held 📅 October 4-27 in San Pedro Atocpan (📍 Carretera Xochimilco-Oaxtepec k It is worth mentioning that the inhabitants of this town usually prepare and consume mole during festivities; it is always present at weddings the mole trade began and soon became one of the main economic activities in the region Many of the businesses transformed their artisanal preparation to an industrial model that is distributed to different areas of Mexico City your palate will not only taste the flavor Get ready to eat all kinds of moles; from almendrados there will be the sale of moles so you can make your own stews and there will be preparations where the star of the dish is this delicacy The Mole Fair in Milpa Alta is complemented by a line-up of shows and artistic presentations as well as mechanical games where families have a great time We are anxious to know the itinerary for this 2024 San Pedro Atocpan is a beautiful little pueblo and one of a dozen in Milpa Alta It’s been designated as a barrio mágico — a magical neighborhood — and has a lovely church that was dedicated in 1680 a pretty park in the town’s center and winding cobblestone streets made for walking But none of these are what draws people to the pueblo because San Pedro is billed as the Mole Capital of Mexico one that stretches back at least as far as the Aztecs who made a simple sauce called chilmole “It is a salsa of just chiles and tomatoes and almost no spices,” said Luís Gutiérrez Romero a San Pedro resident who has researched mole’s history for many years mole’s transition from a simple sauce to a thick and flavorful version began after the Conquest The Spaniards brought nuts and spices with them that were new to indigenous groups who soon began incorporating them into their foods “This was especially true in Puebla,” said Gutiérrez “Puebla had an important role in the development of mole Puebla still provides chiles for our mole.” There are several competing stories (or legends) that purport to tell how the mole we know today came to be The most popular story is that Sor Andrea de Asunción created it in 1680 (although some claim this actually happened in the 16th century) a bishop was making a surprise visit and the nun had a “celestial inspiration” that led to her creating mole Others claim it was a monk who first created the sauce The most fanciful story is that wind blew a bunch of ingredients into a large pot and they somehow combined perfectly to make mole “These versions are pretty but not true,” said Gutiérrez “I believe the process of making mole had its origins in fiestas and where people prepared food especially in Tlaxcala and some pueblos close to San Martín people tried different things and I believe mole continued to change from the 16th through the 18th century.” He estimates that there are over 200 different kinds of mole every household has its own special recipe Making mole from scratch is quite a task since each kind has at least 20 ingredients and requires two or three days of work an 80-year-old resident of San Gregorio Atlapulco is one of a handful of people who still make mole at home she thoroughly washes two kinds of chiles — mulato and pasilla dries the chiles and then takes them to be ground Then she toasts and grinds a handful of five different nuts by hand using a molcajete forming a powder that she then fries using lard or oil finally thinning the resulting paste with chicken stock San Pedro’s streets are lined with restaurants and stores serving up mole Jacal de María Candelaria is one of the few restaurants where mole is still made by hand “It is artisanal mole,” said Aurelia Arroyo Martínez machines are used to grind the ingredients We have a grinder made of [black volcanic] stones which give the mole a distinct flavor and consistency We also taste the mole as we make it; you cannot do that with industrial production.” She admits that making artisanal mole is a lot of work since her moles have as many as 36 ingredients but “Vale la pena.“ It is worth it All of the stores offer mole as both a powder and paste “The only difference is that the powdered mole lasts longer,” explained Luis Juan Alvarado Retana His store uses recipes handed down from his mother gave me a short course on how to prepare mole “Many cooks brown the mole first,” she said as she cooked using a clay pot known as a cazuela “Some fry a little tomato in oil before adding the mole and browning it simply add water or stock and mix it until you have the consistency you like.” the majority of cooks use lard instead of oil for frying and chicken stock to thin the mole but vegetable oil and vegetable stock work fine “Preparing mole is more art than science.” the mole can be poured over enchiladas or rice or pretty much anything you enjoy eating The most popular item on the menu in San Pedro is turkey leg with mole spooned over it A vegetarian option is to steam up some vegetables add them to the mole and pour the mix over rice Toss in some frijoles and you’ve got a complete meal San Pedro’s Feria Nacional de Mole has been held in October each year since 1976 It’s held in a park just outside the pueblo and features dozens of restaurants and stores It’s a great place to sample the wide variety of moles available This year’s version is scheduled for October 3-25 but with the uncertainties due to the coronavirus it’s best to check before heading to the pueblo Joseph Sorrentino is a regular contributor to Mexico News Daily ADVERTISE WITH MND COMMUNITY GUIDELINES Subscription FAQ's Privacy Policy Mexico News Daily - Property of Tavana LLC See & Do The Most Beautiful Plazas in Mexico City See & Do 16 Must Visit Attractions in Guadelejara Mexico City has some of the coolest barrios in the world including Roma and Condensa and more underrated but equally artsy zones such as San Rafael Head south and you’ll find Copilco and Tlalpan which are practically unvisited by the casual tourist Here are the places you should consider checking out View Tours Known for being the classier older brother of neighboring Roma Condesa plays host to Parque México and a ton of art deco masterpieces It also has some of the best nightlife in the city which is why it features heavily in the Mexico City Street Food Tour View Tours The hipster little brother to Condesa Roma is regularly hailed as the coolest neighborhood in Mexico City but Roma is certainly teeming with nightlife contemporary art galleries and plenty of quirky cafes Book a private walking tour to discover the area’s best hidden gems View Tours The most famous southern neighborhood in Mexico City Coyoacán is legendary for being the birthplace of Frida Kahlo and playing host to her wildly popular museum where you can see how she used to live and enjoy some of her colorful artworks you can also enjoy a familial vibe in the central square and taste test some excellent coffee Combine a tour of the neighborhood and a visit to the museum with a boat ride down Xochimilco Just above the Roma neighborhood is the equally beautiful (but significantly more underrated) area known as the Zona Rosa it is principally renowned for the quantity and quality of gay bars that it plays host to If you’re looking for somewhere to simply take a stroll Coffee lovers ought to head to the quirky neighborhood of Copilco The Corredor de Copilco is the ideal spot to grab lunch with a friend and have a chat over some bargain-priced hotdogs or top-notch comida corrida Sign up to our newsletter to save up to $800 on our unique trips See privacy policy Narvarte is very much on the rise and can be expected to have its moment within the next few years Get there now before it turns into a mini-Roma Experience the many flavors of Mexico on the Narvarte At Night: Tacos it has some exquisite architecture and a laid-back vibe San Rafael is another destination often overlooked by visitors It’s known as the artsy zone on the rise in the Mexican capital thanks to more affordable (read: not Roma) prices Part of the gorgeous Chapultepec park is located within San Miguel Chapultepec and it’s sandwiched between two of the principal avenues in the city An underdog on the cool neighborhood scene it’s worth giving San Miguel Chapultepec a chance The Villa de Guadalupe is a northern Mexico City neighborhood that is home to the world famous Basílica de Guadalupe While some may think it’s a bit of a pain to get to given that it’s pretty far removed from the well-trodden routes of the historic center we think this is one of the Mexican capital’s unmissable neighborhoods Not only is one of the world’s most revered Catholic destinations located here it is also the spot where the Mexican-American War peace treaty was signed in 1848 Many tours combine a visit to the Basilica with a trip to the ancient pyramids of Teotihuacan Culhuacán, in the southern region of Iztapalapa, is a small neighborhood that officially became a barrio mágico in 2011 Pueblo Culhuacán was considered an important religious and cultural city not least for its association with Quetzalcoatl although nowadays it’s lesser traversed by outsiders One of the key sites that you really can’t afford to miss is the Exconvento de Culhuacán If you’re a fan of an artsy Instagram shot you should definitely make sure to pay a visit to the barrio mágico of Santa María La Ribera Both architecturally and historically significant in Mexico City this region is also where you can find the stunning Kiosco Morisco an unforgettably impressive 19th century edifice aside from the obvious magical neighborhoods like Roma-Condesa and Garibaldi Santa María La Ribera is also conveniently located in the Cuauhtémoc borough of the city meaning you have no excuse for not visiting San Ángel was long a favorite with the upper classes of Mexican society during the colonial period and nowadays it still offers just as much obvious charm but with a heck of a lot less snobbery Known principally in traveler circles for hosting the weekly Bazaar Sábado (which is highly recommended) it also has a gorgeous plaza named San Jacinto tranquillity and the Museo Casa Estudio Diego Rivera y Frida Kahlo Moving to the southeast of the city, we have Tacubaya, a pleasant barrio mágico known for being one of Mexico City’s most traditional neighborhoods which has existed since pre-Hispanic times While it has lost some of its glean and grandeur since the 19th century it still remains a worthwhile destination; in fact one of the stand out landmarks in this neighborhood is the Casa Estudio Luis Barragán a modernist masterpiece that was once the home to Mexican architect Luis Barragán and we highly recommend going there during the Day of the Dead festivities you should still pay a visit to soak up the agricultural traditional and notably distinct atmosphere of the place import PrebidBidService from "/v1/js/PrebidBidService.js"; import AmazonBidService from "/v1/js/AmazonBidService.js"; window.addEventListener('intersecting',async (e) => { const element = document.querySelector('[data-id="in_article_9"]'); const slot = element.getAttribute('id'); if(e.detail.slotName !== slot) { return; } let promises = []; if(window.canRunPrebid) { const prebidService = new PrebidBidService(); promises.push(prebidService.requestPrebidBids(null [slot])); } if(window.canRunAmazon) { const amazonService = new AmazonBidService(); promises.push(amazonService.fetchBids(null [slot])); } if(promises?.length) { await Promise.all(promises).then(() => { googletag.pubads().refresh([window.addSlot[slot]]); }); } else { googletag.pubads().refresh([window.addSlot[slot]]); } }); Cuajimalpa Architectural Landmark Close to Cuajimalpa you can also find the Desierto de los Leones if you’re yearning for an excuse to get out of the smog of the city Michael Potts F1 / Shutterstock Book Your Trip to Mexico Mexico is one of the most exciting countries in North America with its lively city streets brimming with culture music and some of the best street food you’ll find anywhere But it’s also a country of fascinating history and amazing natural wonders with Aztec and Mayan temples found right next to mystical cenotes drink and travel writer based out of Mexico but I also dabble in spewing my unsolicited opinions about teabags and pork pies Find more of my work at northernlauren.com See & Do The Most Beautiful Plazas in Mexico City See & Do 16 Must Visit Attractions in Guadelejara See & Do The Most Magical Sites to Visit in Mexico See & Do The Top 10 Things to See and Do in Tlaxcala Guides & Tips A Guide To The Palacio De Bellas Artes See & Do Unique Indigenous Towns in Mexico See & Do Mexico's Most Stunning Lakeside Towns and Villages See & Do How to Spend Christmas and New Years in Mexico City See & Do Must-Visit Attractions in the Copper Canyon See & Do A View of Mexico City Through the Xochimilco Canals See & Do The Top Museums in Mexico City See & Do The 10 Best Things to See and Do in Pachuca US: +1 (678) 967 4965 | UK: +44 (0)1630 35000 tripssupport@theculturetrip.com © Copyright 2025 The Culture Trip Ltd Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker But what about lesser-known Mexican classics like “cochinita pibil,” the impossibly flavorful slow-roasted pork dish from the Yucatan peninsula Or “escamoles,” the ant larvae from central Mexico known as “insect caviar” Or “empanadas de mole,” pastries filled with the savory chocolate sauce of the Oaxaca region Mexico has always been a major player on the world food scene top chefs are embracing and promoting the country’s richly varied regional cuisine driving the Mexican gastronomic experience to a whole new level One of the poster boys for the trend is Alejandro Ruiz whose Mexico City restaurant Guzina Oaxaca drew a rave review in The New York Times with its “chic interpretations of traditional classics.” Ruiz comes from the village of La Raya in the southern state of Oaxaca where he grew up grinding corn and cooking for his family to help his mother a mountainous region known for its huge diversity of ingredients and deep culinary traditions the kitchen is the most important part of the home,” Ruiz said Oaxaca isn’t the only region whose traditional cuisine has been elevated to new levels of chic Dana Paola Alvarado makes a four-color tortilla white and blue corn and nopal (prickly pear) Mole is a Mexican sauce of pre-Hispanic origin made out of 26 basic ingredients cooked according to traditional recipes Mexico stretches from the deserts of the northern border to the tropical forests of the south with long Caribbean and Pacific coastlines in between giving it immense biodiversity and a sprawling palette of ingredients Its flavors are also shaped by its complex history blending influences from its many indigenous groups immigrants from all over and the ever-present United States loses count listing her culinary adventures in Mexico’s myriad regions and sub-regions one minute you can be eating sinfully delicious tacos a few hours by bus — or a few Mexico City blocks or market stands away — “suddenly you’re eating turkey and hardboiled eggs and these really rich pastes which is just a whole other level of flavor that only exists there.” Mexican food’s strength is its “regionality,” she says — something that is only just starting to be exported abroad “The more people are learning about the regionality of the cuisine and how distinct and complex it is A selection of fine mezcal bottles from a range of Mexican producers are displayed for sale at Benito Juarez market in Oaxaca of the prestigious World’s 50 Best Restaurants list says this is exactly what has propelled Mexican restaurants onto the closely watched ranking “If you think you know what Mexican cuisine is then you probably haven’t experienced enough of it.” Mexico has two restaurants in the current top 50 which remains dominated by Europe: Enrique Olvera’s Pujol and Jorge Vallejo’s Quintonil But Mexico’s top chefs are nervously eying their colleagues to south in Peru — whose fusion-fueled cuisine makes it a rival contender for the title of Latin America’s hottest food destination European and Asian influences — symbolized in recipes like “ceviche,” a refreshing dish of raw fish marinated in lime — has made its cuisine all the rage Peru has two spots on Restaurant’s current top 10: Virgilio Martinez’s Central at No That is making some people in Mexico nervous Mauricio Avila works at the Mexican culture ministry His job is to compile and preserve Mexico’s gastronomic heritage We’ve always believed it wasn’t fancy enough for foreigners,” he said His office is actively encouraging the trend of celebrating Mexico’s traditional regional cuisines The government has released a 78-volume collection on “Indigenous and Popular Cuisine” — each dedicated to a place It is also working on an index of ingredients a Venezuelan gastronomy expert at Spain’s renowned Basque Culinary Center Mexico has not only joined the phenomenon (of high-end dining in Latin America) personality and a lot of distinctive elements,” she said And pity the misguided foodie who travels to Mexico City and only eats in trendy restaurants when it is bursting with amazing food at nearly every street corner “An ideal trip to Mexico City is doing a mix” of the two and you can try anything and it’s all going to be good.” 1.Comments will appear only after being approved by our team so it might be a while before your comment is posted 2.In accordance with the Regulations on Internet News and Information Services and other related laws and regulations of the People's Republic of China comments should not contain anything that is obscene Please [ Login ] to leave a comment.