History
Mole manchamanteles is the fruity-sweet mole, made with pineapple, plantain, apple, sweet potato and ancho chiles. It is the rarest mole at restaurant level (often replaced by coloradito) but appears on the seven-mole tasting platters at Catedral, Los Pacos and Ancestral. The Spanish name refers to the dramatic red-orange stains it leaves on the tablecloth.
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Tours, tastings and classes from the cities on this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.
Common allergens: Sesame, Wheat (tortilla)
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 8 ancho chiles, seeded
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 small onion
- 2 tomatoes, charred
- 1 ripe plantain, sliced
- 1 apple, peeled
- 250g fresh pineapple
- 1 small sweet potato, cubed
- 30g sesame seeds, toasted
- 30g almonds
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 800ml chicken stock
- 800g chicken, cut for serving
- Salt
Method
- Toast the chiles and soak in hot water 20 minutes.
- Char the tomatoes, onion and garlic.
- Blend chiles, charred vegetables, plantain, apple, half the pineapple, sesame, almonds and spices into a paste.
- Fry the paste in 40ml lard 15 minutes.
- Add stock, the sweet potato cubes and remaining pineapple; simmer 30 minutes.
- Add chicken; braise 30 minutes; adjust salt.
Tip from the editors. The fruit should be slightly tart, not over-ripe; the chile balance falls apart with too much sugar.
Where to eat mole manchamanteles
Mole manchamanteles in Oaxaca
Restaurante Catedral ★ 4.2
Restaurante Catedral one block from the cathedral runs a generous courtyard with live music and a seven-moles menu (negro, chichilo, amarillo, verde).
Book1 week ahead
TipTuesdays closed; the moles oaxaquenos platter for two is the standard ask. Live music after 8pm most nights.
Los Pacos ★ 4.2
Los Pacos on Abasolo with a rooftop terrace runs seven moles on one tasting board for the canonical mole-flight of the city across two sittings daily.
Book1 week ahead
TipSkip mains and order the moles-de-Oaxaca tasting plate; bring an appetite and a friend to share the seven.
Ancestral Cocina Tradicional ★ 4.5
Ancestral in Xochimilco is the thatched-roof grove on Lopez Alavez, well away from Centro tourist flow, with the seven-moles tasting platter as the headline.
Why locals goIn Barrio de Xochimilco, the weaving quarter most tourists never reach; thatched-roof grove.
TipTake a taxi (the Lopez Alavez block is a steep climb); book the moles tasting for two.
Las Quince Letras ★ 4.4
Las Quince Letras is Celia Florian's women-owned mole room since 1992 near Santo Domingo, where the mole negro runs more than thirty ingredients.
Book1 week ahead
TipOrder the duo-de-moles or trio-de-moles to see the kitchen's range across three sauces in one sitting.
More cities are in research. Want mole manchamanteles covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.