Dish of the Week: Chiles en Nogada

This is a guest post by Katherine Robinson. Katherine Robinson is a freelance writer who enjoys writing about her travel experiences which may be useful to other travellers.

Chiles en nogada is a popular dish that’s only available each year around Mexican Independence Day. The ingredients — a stuffed poblano chile, white walnut sauce, pomegranate seeds and parsley — make up the colours of the Mexican flag. If you’ve booked flights to Mexico and will be in the country around September 16th there’s a good chance that you’ll be able to sample this dish.

What is Chiles en Nogada?

Chiles en nogada is a traditional Mexican dish that was invented in 1821, around the same time of the unveiling of the Mexican flag. To prepare this dish you must first roast the chiles and then remove the skins and seeds. Then you’ll need to brown the meat slightly and add garlic, onion, cinnamon, banana, apple, almonds, salt, pepper, cumin and cook for around 5 minutes. Use this mixture to stuff the chiles. Then beat egg whites with a mixer and fold in the egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Dip the chiles in the mixture and fry. The stuffed chiles are served with a walnut cream sauce and pomegranate seeds.

Where does it originate from?

This dish originates from the state of Puebla. You can fly to Hermanos Serdán International Airport which is the main airport in this state. International flights normally have a stopover before flying to this hub. Sometimes travellers prefer to book cheap flights to Mexico City and then travel by bus to Puebla which is not too far away.

Photo credit: via flickr

Tagged as: dish of the week