The mole amarillo which Iliana de la Vega makes at her lovely Restaurante El Noranjo in Oaxaca City contains 27 separate ingredients, including six different types of chilli. This explains the depth and complexity of the resulting sauce. Moles, the best of which are agreed to come from Oaxaca, are deep, subtle sauces originally eaten without meat and certainly sufficient unto themselves. However, people are rather shocked to go to a restaurant and not be offered something more apparently substantial, so moles are generally served over simply grilled meat, chicken or turkey or perhaps enchiladas. There are many moles, including red, green, pipián, coloradito, manchamanteles, poblano, yellow and the famous black mole.
