The emblematic green, white and red dish is featured August through December at every restaurant and inside every Mexican home. Here’s why.
Chiles en Nogada at Balcón del Zocalo in downtown Mexico City. Photo by Cristina Lugo.
In 2010, Mexican cuisine made it to the United Nations’ list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. What this means is that the UN is committed to protect and preserve Mexico's culinary traditions for posterity, because they represent an inmensurable value for humanity. We’ll say it again, for the people in the back.
Mexican cuisine - including tacos and salsas and what many misunderstand to be cheap and unsophisticated food - is an important cultural asset for humanity, one that the United Nations feels compelled to uphold and protect.
Every year from August through December, restaurants feature Chiles en Nogada, perhaps the most emblematic of traditional Mexican dishes. With its green, white and red colors (representative of the Mexican flag) this century-old entrée consists of a poblano pepper stuffed with ground beef, nuts and raisins, bathed in a walnut sauce and fresh pomegranate seeds.
One of the many stories behind the dish is that it was created by nuns in the central state of Puebla, in celebration of the Treaty of Cordoba, which finally gave Mexico independence from the Spanish monarchy. The nuns of the Santa Monica convent created the recipe and presented the scrumptious meal to the new emperor Agustin de Iturbide upon his victorious arrival. Leaves you wondering how much of history is just that, doesn’t it? A story, one we feel inclined to believe, but nonetheless a story that forever remains unverifiable. Ah, to be human…
Okay, but why are Chiles en Nogada such a featured national dish and not pozole or birria or tacos? Because it’s not only aesthetically beautiful, but more importantly it’s a unique and creative combination of ingredients, one that is impossible to compare with anything else. The presentation looks like a birthday present: bright, colorful, festive tones become irresistible to the eyes. Many hear the word “chiles” and immediately assume spicy, which is not at all the case here. Once the poblano pepper has been blistered, deveined and peeled, it loses much - if not all - of its bite, and only flavor remains. The meat filling is cooked with seasonal fruits like apples, raisins, pears and peaches, and a variety of nuts and spices, creating a perfect balance of sweet and savory, warm, crunchy and fresh. The chile is then bathed in a creamy, silky, decadent (almost classically French) walnut sauce, and sprinkled with fresh pomegranate seeds. It is a true feast, which is why Mexicans serve it in celebration: of our nationalism, our independence, the colors of our flag, the holidays, or personal milestones.
If you see a Chile en Nogada at your local favorite Mexican joint, be sure to order it. If you enjoy cooking at home, here’s a spectacular recipe courtesy of Chef Mavi, our catering and cooking class partner in Puerto Vallarta.