 Chile en nogada prepared for serving | |
| Type | Stuffed vegetable |
|---|---|
| Course | Main |
| Place of origin | Mexico (1821) |
| Region or state | Puebla |
| Serving temperature | Room temperature |
| Main ingredients | poblano chile,picadillo,walnuts,cream,pomegranate |
Chiles en nogada is aMexican dish ofpoblano chiles stuffed withpicadillo (a mixture usually containing minced meat, aromatics, fruits and spices) topped with a walnut-based cream sauce callednogada,pomegranate seeds and parsley; it is typically served at room temperature. It is widely considered a national dish of Mexico.[1]
Thepicadillo usually containspanochera apple (manzana panochera), sweet-milk pear (pera de leche) andcriollo peach (durazno criollo). The cream sauce usually has milk, double cream, fresh cheese,sherry andwalnut. The walnuts, which give thenogada sauce its name (nogal beingSpanish for "walnut tree")[2] are traditionally of thecultivarnogal de Castilla (Castilian walnut). In some cases,pecans may substitute for or supplement the walnuts.
This dish is made in Central Mexico in August and the first half of September, when pomegranates are in season.[3] The colors of the dish—green chile, white sauce, red pomegranate—are the colors of theflag of Mexico,[4] andIndependence Day is during the pomegranate season.
The traditionalchile en nogada is fromPuebla; it is tied to the Mexican independence since it is said they were prepared for the first time to entertain the future emperorAgustín de Iturbide[4] when he came to the city after the signing of theTreaty of Córdoba. This dish is a source of pride for the inhabitants of the state ofPuebla.[5]
Some Mexican historians believe the inventors of this dish were the Monjas Clarisas, although others think they were the Madres Contemplativas Agustinas of the convent of Santa Mónica, Puebla.[6][1]
