What does mole taste like?
Mole tastes deep, smoky and warmly spiced, with dried chilies, toasted nuts and seeds and often a little chocolate, so it's savory and rich rather than sweet or very hot.
Mole
deep, smoky, chocolate-dark sauce
Mole is a family of Mexican sauces, not just one. The one most people mean is mole poblano: dark brown, made from several dried chilies, toasted nuts and seeds, spices like cinnamon and clove, a little fruit and a bit of chocolate. It tastes smoky, earthy and bittersweet, more like a deep gravy than a dessert. The chocolate adds depth, not candy. Heat is usually mild. Other moles go green, yellow or red, and Oaxaca is famous for its seven.
Where you’ll see it
Ladled over chicken or turkey, in enchiladas (enmoladas), on tamales and sometimes tacos. Mole negro and mole poblano are the dark ones; mole verde is greener, herby and brighter.
Order it if you like dark, slow, layered sauces with more depth than heat.
Quick questions
- Does mole taste like chocolate?
- A little, in the dark ones. The chocolate rounds out the chilies and spices, but mole tastes savory and smoky, not sweet.
- Is mole spicy?
- Usually mild. The dried chilies bring smoke and depth more than burn, though some kitchens make a hotter one.