Mole Negro
Oaxaca's most complex mole: a deep, dark sauce made from toasted dried chiles, charred vegetables, chocolate, peanuts, almonds, sesame seeds, stale bread, and lard, simmered for hours and served over turkey or chicken.
Allergen data cross-referenced against published allergen databases.
Your dietary restrictions
The full allergen breakdown is below. Select your restrictions to see a personalized safety status.
Full allergen breakdown
Ingredients
- dried chiles (mulato, ancho, pasilla negro, chihuacle negro)
- peanuts (Peanut)
- almonds (Tree Nut)
- sesame seeds (Sesame)
- chocolate
- stale bread or bolillo (Gluten)
- lard
- tomato
- tomatillo
- garlic
- turkey or chicken
Hidden Ingredients
These ingredients are not typically listed on menus but are present in traditional preparations.
- peanuts as a primary ingredient
- almonds (tree nut)
- sesame seeds (sesame)
- stale bread as a thickener (wheat)
- lard throughout (pork fat)
- chocolate (may contain dairy)
- dried chile seeds are allergen-free but cross-contaminates with nut processing
Allergen Breakdown
Dairy-Free
Check with staffChocolate in mole may contain dairy. Lard is pork fat (not dairy). Verify chocolate source.
Gluten-Free
Likely contains restrictionStale bread or bolillo is a structural thickener in authentic mole negro.
Peanut-Free
Likely contains restrictionPeanuts are a primary ingredient, ground into the sauce.
Tree Nut-Free
Likely contains restrictionAlmonds, pecans, and sometimes walnuts are ground into the sauce.
Shellfish-Free
Likely OKNo shellfish in mole negro.
Egg-Free
Likely OKNo eggs in mole negro.
Fish-Free
Likely OKNo fish in mole negro.
Soy-Free
Likely OKNo soy in traditional mole negro.
Sesame-Free
Likely contains restrictionSesame seeds are ground into the sauce and used as garnish.
Vegetarian
Likely contains restrictionContains lard and is served with turkey or chicken.
| Restriction | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dairy-Free | Check with staff | Chocolate in mole may contain dairy. Lard is pork fat (not dairy). Verify chocolate source. |
| Gluten-Free | Likely contains restriction | Stale bread or bolillo is a structural thickener in authentic mole negro. |
| Peanut-Free | Likely contains restriction | Peanuts are a primary ingredient, ground into the sauce. |
| Tree Nut-Free | Likely contains restriction | Almonds, pecans, and sometimes walnuts are ground into the sauce. |
| Shellfish-Free | Likely OK | No shellfish in mole negro. |
| Egg-Free | Likely OK | No eggs in mole negro. |
| Fish-Free | Likely OK | No fish in mole negro. |
| Soy-Free | Likely OK | No soy in traditional mole negro. |
| Sesame-Free | Likely contains restriction | Sesame seeds are ground into the sauce and used as garnish. |
| Vegetarian | Likely contains restriction | Contains lard and is served with turkey or chicken. |
Key risk: Mole negro is the single most allergen-dense sauce in any cuisine covered by this guide. A single bowl can contain six simultaneous allergens: peanuts, tree nuts (almonds, pecans, walnuts), sesame, wheat (bread thickener), dairy (chocolate), and lard (pork). It looks like a dark, complex sauce with no visual indicators of its ingredients.
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