Mole Poblano

The most complex sauce in Mexican cuisine, mole poblano contains over 20 ingredients including multiple dried chilis, chocolate, tomatoes, raisins, peanuts, and spices, and requires up to three days of preparation in traditional kitchens. Legend credits its creation to the nuns of the Convent of Santa Catalina de Siena in Puebla in the 17th century, though its roots trace to pre-Hispanic Aztec sauces. Puebla celebrates an annual National Mole Fair (Feria Nacional del Mole) each October drawing 200,000 visitors.