Chile en Nogada

The king of Puebla's cuisine: Flavor, tradition and identity

By Museo Casa del Mendrugo

Casa del Mendrugo Museum

Roots

The Mexican land is very fertile. In Mexico there are many seasonal dishes, one of the most representative is the Chile en Nogada (chili in fresh walnut salsa) originally from Puebla´s valley due to at the foothills of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl volcanoes the ingredients necessary for its preparation are harvested during the rainy season.

Sembradio de chile poblano by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A.C.Museo Casa del Mendrugo

Chili is an essential ingredient in pre-Hispanic cuisine. Of the variety of chili peppers that exist, the poblano pepper stands out for its large size; receives that name because the first records of its cultivation have been found in the valleys of Puebla. 

Niña en sembradío de Chiles poblanos by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A.C. and Carlos Pacheco ParraMuseo Casa del Mendrugo

Currently local farmers supply the markets of the region with these ingredients marking the beginning of the season of Chile en Nogada, an event that brings together Puebla families around its preparation and tasting.

Ingredientes de chile en nogada by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A.C.Museo Casa del Mendrugo

Ingredients

To talk about the ingredients is to talk about fusion. The convents and kitchens of Puebla were the place where the following converged: Poblano chilis, fresh walnut (nuez de Castilla), pera lechera (lechera pear), manzana panochera (panochera apple), Creole peach, plantain, pork, tomato, raisins, almonds, egg, clove, cinnamon, pork fat, garlic, onion, salt and sugar.

Chile en Nogada (antes de la decoración) by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A.C.Museo Casa del Mendrugo

Preparation

The main processes are: 1) Cooking the mince (picadillo) with pork meat and Creole fruit. 2) Grilling the poblano chili to cook it and remove the itching. 3) Filling poblano chili with mince. 4) Sealing the poblano chili filling with egg. 5) Preparation of nogada (fresh walnut salsa). 6) It is finally served and covered with nogada (fresh walnut salsa), parsley leaves and pomegranate.

Chile poblano tatemado by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A.C.Museo Casa del Mendrugo

Poblano chili and the flame

The poblano chili is prepared in a special way. It is placed on a comal (griddle) or directly onto the fire to burn the skin and make it softer in a process called "tatemado" (grilling),
Once toasted, the skin is removed and then it is cut to remove the seeds and veins that cause itching.

Chiles poblanos rellenos de picadillo para Chile en Nogada by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A.C.Museo Casa del Mendrugo

The filling

The filling is an important part of the dish so it is prepared in advance from one to two days before being served. It consists of a mixture or "picadillo" ("mince") of peeled Creole fruits, pork meat, spices and seasoned in tomato salsa with pork lard.
The flavors, saltiness and sweetness will depend on the recipe and cook seasoning.

Nuez de Castila by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A.C.Museo Casa del Mendrugo

Walnut tree, walnut and fresh walnut salsa

There are records that in the 16th century, dishes to be prepared in walnut salsa which also received the description of nogada (fresh walnut salsa). The ingredients of the walnut salsa are: Fresh walnut, goat's cheese, almonds, milk, sherry, sugar and salt to taste. The recenty harvest walnut (nuez de Castilla) is fresh; its skin must be removed due to its bitter taste.

Chile poblano relleno capeado by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A.C.Museo Casa del Mendrugo

The art of sealing

Sealing is a technique for sealing in flavors. It consists of sprinkling the chili filling with wheat flour, then coating it with eggs that have been beaten to stiff peaks to finally fry in oil or pork lard. 

Cabalgata Agustín de Iturbide (2021-07-08) by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A.C.Museo Casa del Mendrugo

The legend of Chiles en Nogada

It is said that the Chiles en Nogada were served to Don Agustín de Iturbide, on August 28th, 1821, during his visit to the city of Puebla de los Ángeles as head of the Trigarante army. The nuns of the convents of the city were in charge of presenting a dish that integrated the colors of the trigarante flag: white, green and red, achieving this with nogada, parsley and pomegranate.

Agustín de Iturbide en La Casa del Mendrugo | Puebla by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A.C. and Aldo Rivera PastorMuseo Casa del Mendrugo

Agustín de Iturbide in La Casa del Mendrugo

In his book "Las Calles de Puebla", the German historian Hugo Leicht, recorded the information given by Bernandino Tamariz, who reports that Iturbide was staying at La Casa del Mendrugo, which at that time belonged to the Bishopric of Puebla.

Chile en nogada y algunos ingredientes by Fundación Casa del Mendrugo A. C.Museo Casa del Mendrugo

Bon appetit!

Chile en Nogada (chili in fresh walnut salsa) is an unparalleled dish in Mexican gastronomy; a result of the fusion of European and indigenous cultures. Year after year, homes, local diners and restaurants in Puebla offer their own version of the recipe that has evolved over time maintaining its essence from generation to generation.

Credits: Story

Casa del Mendrugo A.C. Foundation

Alejandra Cosme Mota
Carlos Rafael Pacheco Parra
Ronald de Jesús Cerón Tapia
Photography 

Ronald de Jesús Cerón Tapia
Edson Armando Méndez Albavera 
Edition

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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