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A Love Story: Chicken with Mole
by Jason Hernandez Lopez
In the aromatic, bustling kitchen of my childhood home, playing and dancing with the rhythmic spices and sizzling simmering pots, I was at the edge of my appetite, waiting. Just the sound of the dish, the syllables galloping from my taste buds, tantalizing: chicken with mole sauce. Mmmmm!! Seasoned with love, tradition, and a dash of family heritage, I never imagined how much this dish would have changed my life.
Chicken with mole, a favorite Mexican dish, traces back to my hometown in Chiapas, Mexico (Hevrdejs). Originating from ancient indigenous civilizations, the Aztecs and the Mayans–my bloodline–the very first versions of this dish focused on the revered and sacred cacao bean (“Chocolate”). Mole, meaning a mixture or sauce, truly solidified its name under Spanish colonial rule, where it evolved into a blend of flavors, incorporating not just Mexican ingredients, but European ones too (Vecchio). Today, it's not just admired in my family, but across the globe, standing as a testament to the great history and flavors of Mexican cuisine.
A typical meal that consists of chicken with mole sauce, rice, beans, and a garden salad. Accompanying it, is candy, chips, and Mexican soda. December, 2022. Photo by Jason Hernandez Lopez.
It's not just a dish, however; it's a cherished, and precious link. It's a thread that weaves my family’s tapestry together, connecting us all through our mighty and ferocious bloodline. With each meal, with each bite, our dinners become a narrative, telling stories of love, family, and tradition. But before it does any of that, chicken with mole stitches me to my birth mother, a person I’m unable to see often.
After I moved to the states from Chiapas, I lived in Manhattan with my beloved guardians, where I would visit Queens to see my mother on the weekends. Every day, I anticipated the weekends; of course, to visit my mom, but also because she would lovingly prepare a culinary masterpiece for me. Each bite, with every mouthful, the flavors pranced on my precious taste buds; a dance of ecstasy, a dance of love. Each bite I savored, bite after bite, until I couldn’t take another. All my mom could do was smile, love in her eyes, knowing chicken with mole was the thread connecting us across the distance separating our lives.
A meal I often prepare for my family, showcasing Mexican and Mediterranean dishes that have been passed down from my parents. July, 2023. Photo by Jason Hernandez Lopez.
This is my favorite place to get chicken with mole in New York City when my mom is unable to make it for me. December, 2022. Photo by Jason Hernandez Lopez.
“Mi hijo, the dish is an art piece. Like all things, you can’t rush it,” my mother would say, brimming with pride and esteem, guiding me through every step of her mother’s cherished recipe. With every gesture, with every word, she was passing down a legacy. This version, among thousands but definitely the finest, was passed through generations of my bloodline, showcasing our determination to preserve our ancestral lineage. Every ingredient, every step she showed me, carries the artistic skills and wisdom of our forefathers and foremothers; a tradition I am grateful she has shared with me. But as I continue to honor those before me, I realize that I’m not just passing down the instructions of a dish, but also savoring the profound connection I have with my Mexican identity.
As I savor the last bite of my chicken with mole, I am reminded that this dish is more than just a meal; it's a gift, it’s an heirloom, it's my heritage. I honor the women in my lineage who have preserved this recipe with love, and with the utmost respect. With each mouthful, I taste the flavors of Chiapas, the love of my birth mother, and my strong, Mayan ancestors. This is my lineage.
Works Cited
"Chocolate, Nuts, Chili Spice Chicken in Mole." Oakland Post (1968-1981), May 07, 1975, pp. 9. ProQuest, https://proxy.lib.umich.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/chocolate-nuts-chili-spice-chicken-mole/docview/371669910/se-2. Accessed 1 November 2023.
Hevrdejs, Judy. "!Ole, Mole! When you sample this special sauce, you're tasting Mexican history: [North Sports Final Edition]." Chicago Tribune (pre-1997 Fulltext), Oct 15, 1992, pp. 1. ProQuest, https://proxy.lib.umich.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/ole-mole-when-you-sample-this-special-sauce-youre/docview/283416561/se-2. Accessed 1 November 2023.
Hernandez Lopez, Jason. New York City Mexican food cart. December. 2022. Author’s personal collection.
Hernandez Lopez, Jason. Chicken with mole sauce, rice, beans, and a garden salad. December. 2022. Author’s personal collection.
Hernandez Lopez, Jason. Mexican and Mediterranean dishes. July. 2023. Author’s personal collection.
Vecchio, Jerry Anne Di. "'Mole' means sauce." Sunset, vol. 204, no. 2, Feb. 2000, p. 143. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A59247099/ITOF?u=umuser&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d04fe82a. Accessed 1 November 2023.
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