What Kind Of Chocolate Is Used In Mole Sauce?

While they may look similar, enchilada and mole sauce are two very different gems of Mexican cuisine. The former can be made quickly and with just a few components, but a thick, rich mole hosts a list of ingredients as long as your arm. Chile peppers like chipotle, ancho, and guajillo combine with tomatoes and tomatillos, along with herbs, spices, nuts, and chocolate, to form a complex sauce that many say becomes more flavorful when it sits for a couple of days. Each element plays a specific role in enhancing the sauce. When it comes to the chocolate in particular using dark chocolate to complement the other components is essential.

There are gobs of various types of chocolate and different ways to use them, but when making a mole sauce, you want to reach for something dark and bittersweet. That's because, while chocolate is a primary component of mole poblano and other varieties of mole, the sauce isn't meant to be overly sweet. When made correctly, it should be slightly earthy, nutty, and savory, with notes of cocoa elevating the other ingredients in the mix without overpowering them.

Milk chocolate tends to be smooth and sweet, with not much else going on. Were it used to make a mole sauce, that's all it would bring to the table. Dark varieties boast more complex and subtle nutty and floral characteristics that contribute to a richer overall flavor profile in the dish. For even more complexity, there is another chocolate some folks use to make mole, but you're unlikely to find it in your grocery store's candy aisle.

Mole sauce comes in many varieties, and everyone likes to put their own spin on this classic savory fare. A wide variety of chiles can be used, certain spices can be substituted for others, and instead of dark chocolate, some prefer to incorporate Mexican chocolate. It is similar to a bar of the dark stuff, but like the difference between Mexican hot chocolate and other versions, it comes with additional flavors that can take mole sauce to another level.

There isn't any one recipe for Mexican chocolate, but most versions share some commonalities. Besides the cocoa and sugar found in dark varieties, it also typically contains ground nuts, chiles, and spices. This creates a more complex flavor than dark chocolate on its own, and which is more than welcome in a rich mole sauce.

If you want to try Mexican chocolate in your next mole sauce, you have a couple of options regarding where to source it. Your local supermarket isn't likely to carry it, so one option is to look for a Mexican grocer in your area. If physical stores like these are elusive in your region, you can always find Mexican chocolate online. You will have to wait a little longer for it to arrive at your door, but once you mix it into your mole sauce, you might consider it worth the wait.