Mole Negro appears as a signature dish in 1 Mexico cities. See each city's local variant and where to eat it.
Mole negro oaxaqueno · Oaxaca
Mole negro is the darkest and most complex of Oaxaca's seven moles, with 25-plus ingredients including chilhuacle negro, chocolate, sesame, almonds and burnt-tortilla.
Mole negro evolved in Oaxacan convent kitchens after the Spanish arrival in 1521, fusing chilhuacle negro and chocolate (both pre-Hispanic) with sesame, almonds, raisins and Old World spices over two centuries. The dish is the canonical Day of the Dead offering across the Valles Centrales and reaches a 25-to-35-ingredient peak at Levadura de Olla, Las Quince Letras and Catedral. Burnt tortillas and chile seeds give it the smoky bass note that distinguishes negro from the brighter coloradito and amarillo siblings.
Where to eat in Oaxaca:
- Levadura de Olla
- Las Quince Letras
- Restaurante Catedral
- Los Pacos
- Tierra del Sol
- Casa Oaxaca el Restaurante
- Ancestral Cocina Tradicional