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Sushi

Mar 17, 2011, 11:33 AM

Post #1 of 24 (9223 views)

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Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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Hello,
my friend has recently been to Mexico, and she has brought me some
Mexican spices. Unfortunately, neither me, nor my friend can identify
two of them, I thought that maybe you would be able to help me.
I attached photos of them. The red one is bitter in taste, and the
black one is a quite solid block, a little salty.
If you know what they might be, please let me know.
Best regards!

arbon

Mar 17, 2011, 12:44 PM

Post #2 of 24 (9209 views)

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Re: [Sushi] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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red one looks like.... achiote = annatto seed.
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Sushi

Mar 17, 2011, 12:56 PM

Post #3 of 24 (9205 views)

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Re: [arbon] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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Yes, indeed! Thank you very much for quick response!

DavidHF

Mar 17, 2011, 3:51 PM

Post #4 of 24 (9185 views)

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Re: [Sushi] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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The dark one appears to be mole paste. Thin it with chicken stock to make mole sauce.

(This post was edited by DavidHF on Mar 17, 2011, 3:52 PM)

arbon

Mar 17, 2011, 4:09 PM

Post #5 of 24 (9181 views)

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Re: [Sushi] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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black one ....mole poblano paste, (my Daughter gets it in a jar).....or mulato paste.(but that's a guess)
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Sushi

Mar 17, 2011, 4:24 PM

Post #6 of 24 (9176 views)

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Re: [arbon] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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Ok, thanks both of you very much.
Could you just please give me some hints how to use it.
I found a few recipes with mole poblano, but I'm not sure if the paste I've got is just to be thinned with stock (if yes how much stock should I use for the cube I've got [about 2x2x4cm]?), or shall I use it as one of many ingredients preparing for example mole chicken?
I'd appreciate if someone could answer my questions, because it's something completely new to me and it would be a great pity to waste the paste.

mazbook1

Mar 17, 2011, 5:58 PM

Post #7 of 24 (9160 views)

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Re: [Sushi] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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Assuming that it really is mole poblano paste (and I agree with the others that it probably is), chop it up and dissolve in about a cup of boiling chicken broth. Lower the heat to a slow simmer and stir until it is all dissolved/melted, then add chicken stock until it is the consistency of a nice gravy. This gravy IS mole poblano. Use it as a delicious sauce over cooked chicken, turkey or pork. Some folks say seafood also, but the flavor is too strong for seafood in my opinion.

I experiment around with different varieties of mole poblano paste, often adding extra chocolate, ground red chile or chile paste, salt and sometimes even sugar. Every different one can be played with in this manner, customizing it (so to speak) to your individual taste.

When I have leftover mole poblano sauce, I poach eggs in it and serve them ala huevos rancheros over a corn tortilla that has been dipped in the hot mole sauce. Delicious!

(This post was edited by mazbook1 on Mar 17, 2011, 6:51 PM)

mexicobuff

Mar 18, 2011, 3:40 PM

Post #8 of 24 (9112 views)

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Re: [mazbook1] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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Given that the first photo is annatto, which comes from the southern part of Mexico, I suspect that the second photo is a block of mole negro (Oaxacan black mole). It doesn't look like mole poblano to me.

mazbook1

Mar 18, 2011, 5:30 PM

Post #9 of 24 (9102 views)

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Re: [mexicobuff] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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You may well be correct, mexicobuff, but the treatment for cooking it would be the same as mole poblano.

Anonimo

Mar 18, 2011, 6:22 PM

Post #10 of 24 (9094 views)

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Re: [Sushi] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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Do you know specifically where in Mexico your friend obtained these spices? The second one is likely mole negro, but if your friend got it in the Yucatán, it might just be recado negro. The clue is "a little salty."

Saludos,
Anonimo

mexicobuff

Mar 18, 2011, 6:57 PM

Post #11 of 24 (9086 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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You are right, it could well be recado negro. Hmmm.

DavidHF

Mar 19, 2011, 7:33 AM

Post #12 of 24 (9044 views)

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Re: [mazbook1] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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I suggest you start with 1/4 cup of the mole, thin it with chicken stock to the consistency you want. Do not use the whole piece until you know how much it will make.

Bennie García

Mar 19, 2011, 10:26 AM

Post #13 of 24 (9027 views)

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Re: [DavidHF] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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If it measures 2cm x 2cm x 4cm as the poster states and assuming it is a mole paste, there won't be enough for much of anything. That amounts to about 1 cubic inch.

Anonimo

Mar 19, 2011, 11:15 AM

Post #14 of 24 (9020 views)

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Re: [DavidHF] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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Further tasting of the black compound may be in order. If it has a sweet component, then it's mole negro. If it doesn't, then it's probably recado negro.

Saludos,
Anonimo

mazbook1

Mar 19, 2011, 12:06 PM

Post #15 of 24 (9013 views)

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Re: [Bennie García] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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"That amounts to about 1 cubic inch."

Thank you Bennie! Actually, it is a little less than 1 cubic inch. That is why I said to use the whole piece in preparing whatever it is.

La Isla

Mar 19, 2011, 1:15 PM

Post #16 of 24 (9002 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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What is recado negro? How is it different from mole negro?

Anonimo

Mar 19, 2011, 2:53 PM

Post #17 of 24 (8991 views)

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Re: [La Isla] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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http://www.los-dos.com/...o.php?IdArticulo=267

I do know that it's used in Relleno Negro de Pavo. And it's not sweet, nor does it have chocolate in it. Burnt chiles are involved.

Saludos,
Anonimo

Sushi

Mar 20, 2011, 12:01 PM

Post #18 of 24 (8941 views)

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Re: [Anonimo] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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She bought it in Piste, near Chichen Itza (Yucatan).
I've just tasted it once again: no sweet taste at all, a little bit salty as I said before, quite spicy and and it seems like eating dirt or mud. Not that I know how mud tastes;)

mexicobuff

Mar 20, 2011, 4:12 PM

Post #19 of 24 (8922 views)

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Re: [Sushi] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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What you have is recado negro. Here are some ideas about how to use it:

http://a7.com.mx/...groq-de-yucatan.html

mcm

Mar 25, 2011, 1:50 PM

Post #20 of 24 (8806 views)

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Re: [Sushi] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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For the achiote seeds -- grind them, then use them with sour orange (or a substitute) to make a marinade or basting liquid for chicken or pork, or fish Ground achiote with various spices can also be purchased pretty much anywhere in Yucatan (and probably elsewhere) made-up as a recado (recado rojo), in a block similar to the negro. The recado rojo includes additional spices -- you should be able to find recipes online fairly easily.

(This post was edited by mcm on Mar 25, 2011, 1:52 PM)

Sushi

Mar 25, 2011, 2:40 PM

Post #21 of 24 (8799 views)

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Re: [mcm] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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Yes, I've also received the achiote seeds ground in a form of block.
From what you said, I assume that they are not used whole (without grinding), right?

And once again, many thanks for all those of you who helped to solve my problem!

arbon

Mar 25, 2011, 3:30 PM

Post #22 of 24 (8797 views)

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Re: [mexicobuff] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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Do the ground achiote seeds taste like brick dust, or just look like brick dust? ........The (Jalisco discription) was unclear.
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mcm

Mar 25, 2011, 4:14 PM

Post #23 of 24 (8790 views)

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Re: [Sushi] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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I've only seen them used ground -- either with a manual grinder, or a mortar/pestle. You could probably use a coffee grinder, too. This is just what I've seen in the area I live -- I'm no expert.

I believe that achiote seeds are/were used as colorant for margarine, lipstick, etc.

The flavor is pretty subtle, in my opinion (but better than brick dust).

Vichil

Mar 25, 2011, 9:04 PM

Post #24 of 24 (8766 views)

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Re: [Sushi] Please help with identifying Mexican spices

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The seeds are called anato seeds(spel?) The paste used in cooking is achiote paste.