According to legend (one among many), this dish dates back to the 1600s when the sister superior of Puebla’s Santa Rosa convent, tasked with feeding a visiting Spanish viceroy and archbishop, merged her culinary heritage with that of her native helpers to create a recipe of purportedly 100-plus ingredients. Among them were local ancho,
pasilla,
mulato and chipotle chiles, as well as peanuts, chocolate and
canela, or Mexican cinnamon. From the Old World came tomatoes, onions, garlic, aniseed, cloves, peppercorns and sesame seeds. And what was served with it? Puebla’s humble, native turkey. Whether or not the dish impressed its intended audience,
mole poblano remains a symbol of Mexico’s blended culinary roots.
Mexican food, 2.0
Today’s Mexico is a dining destination whose culinary accomplishments deserve the esteem accorded to France, Italy or China—and that popularity is reflected in America’s fine dining today. “The growth of high-end Mexican restaurants such as Topolobampo in Chicago and Zarela in New York has led to a reappraisal of Mexican cuisine—it’s not just tacos anymore,” says Craig. “These fine-dining spots have introduced the consumer to more authentic regional dishes. Cookbooks and TV programs, such as Rick Bayless’s Mexico—One Plate at a Time, are focusing on regional cuisines, as well.
Our preexisting familiarity with a sort of “generic” Mexican cuisine only feeds our appetite more. “Consumers are always looking for something new, and though Mexican cuisine remains hugely popular, it takes something fresh to pique their taste buds,” continues Craig. “There seems to be a demand for more focused flavors and unique combinations that can be satisfied by regional cuisines.”
This is part of a larger story describing the background of our foods. “Guests ask questions,” says Rick Bayless, chef, restaurateur and owner of Frontera Foods, Chicago. “They want to know where a certain dish originated.” Our new president, an acknowledged fan of Bayless’s regional cooking (perhaps in preparation for state dinners at Los Pinos, the “Mexican White House”), “has drawn a lot of attention to what we do,” Bayless says. “This isn’t the melted-cheese-on-combination-platters-style of Mexican food, and people are noticing that Mexican cuisine can be, and is, healthy, flavorful and made with local ingredients.”
So where to begin an exploration of Mexico’s regional delights? “There are places like Oaxaca that are known for their moles; the fabulous seafood coctels from Veracruz; the intense flavor of pork that has been cooked in underground pits in the Yucatán. The list goes on and on,” Bayless says.
Making it work
Small plates can help introduce regional foods. “Sopes, or small cakes of masa spread with refried beans and topped with onions, cheese or meat, and rajas, strips of charred poblano chiles sautéed with onions, are just two examples,” says Craig.
Choose the right dishes to mainstream, says JeanMarie Brownson, executive culinary director, Frontera Foods, and the rest is easy. “To be menu-friendly, the only tweaking you need is to use the best-quality ingredients and not take any shortcuts on classic techniques or ingredients.” Fortunately for product developers, it’s getting easier to do just that.
“Corn, beans and rice—the backbones of Mexican cooking—are familiar and easily available ingredients that processors already have a good deal of experience with,” Craig says. However, “the herb and spice combinations that give south-of-the-border sabor to dishes can be a bit trickier.”