Chiles En Nogada - About The Special Dish Served For Mexican Independence Celebrations

By Elizabeth Arnott

Mexicans celebrate their independence from Spain on the 16th September every year. They remember and re-enact the speech given by Father Miguel Hidalgo from the little church of Dolores near Guanajuato, calling his people to come together and revolt against the Spanish government. A special dish - Chiles en Nogada (chillies in walnut sauce) - was created in the colours of the national flag - green, white and red.

To Mexicans, Chiles en Nogada for Independence Day is the equivalent to roast turkey for Thanksgiving in the United States. Stuffed green poblano chillies are served in a white walnut sauce, topped with brilliant red pomegranate seeds and little sprigs of green parsley. The colours of the dish are a reflection of the joyful display of national flags and artefacts designed in the Mexican national colours which are everywhere during the celebrations - flags on roof tops and cars, painted faces, brooches, sombreros, toys...

The recipe for making Chiles en Nogada is very time-consuming and complicated. The list of ingredients is as long as your arm, and the labour-intensive cooking process takes two days. The walnuts have to be soaked overnight, before being made into the sauce. The chillies are stuffed with ground beef and pork, raisins, garlic, onion, peach, pear and almonds. The dish is served at room temperature, sprinkled lavishly with pomegranate seeds and decorated with parsley.

Both pomegranates and walnuts are in season in September, so this national dish is prepared from fresh ingredients. The extraordinary blend of flavours is rich and succulent, and many hotels and restaurants serve Chiles en Nogada as a patriotic seasonal special on their menus for the whole of September.

Agustin de Iturbide was the leader who fought the War of Independence, and later became Emperor of Mexico. As he was travelling to Mexico City, having signed the Treaty of Cordoba in Veracruz, he stopped in the town of Puebla, whose citizens held a feast to celebrate the Independence, and to honour his saint's day (The Feast of Saint Augustine of Hippo). The Augustinian nuns of the Santa Monica convent created a special dish using local seasonal ingredients, and invented what is now the national dish - Chiles en Nogada.

If you are lucky enough to be in Mexico in September, don't miss trying Chiles en Nogada. No matter where you are, in Mexico City, or any other part of Mexico, Independence Day is a major celebration, and the local version of the dish will be delicious, with its extraordinary and subtle combination of flavours, aromas and textures. A treat for the eye as well as a gastronomic delight.