The Taste of Travel: the moles of Oaxaca

Mole, from a Nahuatl word for sauce, is a family of Mexican sauces built from chillies, nuts, seeds, spices and often chocolate or fruit. Oaxaca is known as the land of the seven moles, though writers disagree about the exact list: most name negro, coloradito, amarillo, verde, chichilo and manchamanteles, with the seventh given as either rojo or colorado depending on the source.

Mole negro is the best known, a dark sauce reported to contain 25 or more ingredients, including the local chilhuacle negro chilli, chocolate, sesame and almonds. Coloradito is usually milder and slightly sweeter in character. Verde is built on green ingredients such as pumpkin seeds, tomatillo and herbs. One source says chichilo is traditionally made for funerals, and manchamanteles, whose name means tablecloth-stainer, often includes fruit and sometimes chorizo.

Where to try them: a market comedor, a family restaurant that makes its own pastes, or a cooking class with a local cook. Ask which moles are on the day's menu, since not all are made daily. Vegetarian travellers should confirm what the sauce is made with and what it is served over; many moles are served with chicken or pork.