5 curious facts about chile en nogada that you don’t know

Chiles en nogada are that typical dish that colors the patriotic celebrations and fills us with flavor and joy during Mexican nights, but how much do we really know about it? What is its origin? Why do we have to wait for certain seasons to eat it? If you consider yourself a Mexican at heart, you need to know these 5 curious facts about chile en nogada that will leave you speechless. The colors of chile en nogada Although it is said that initially the three colors of chile en nogada represented only the Trigarante Army of Agustín de Iturbide, over time the red pomegranate, the white nogada sauce, and the green poblano chili adapted to our tricolor national flag, the flag of Mexico.Different versions of the origin of chile en nogadaThere are different versions regarding its origin; some believe that the Clarist nuns created it as a dessert in the 17th century, others claim that the Augustinian nuns from the Santa Mónica convent offered it to Agustín de Iturbide to celebrate his birthday and Mexico's Independence, and some believe it was actually part of Iturbide's feast when he signed the Treaties of Córdoba with Juan O'Donoju. Here you can find more details about it. A seasonal Mexican dish The sad reason we can't eat chiles en nogada all year round is that most of its ingredients are only available seasonally; the panochera apple, the lechera pear, the criollo peach, and of course, the walnut and pomegranate shine in the months of August and September, so we must enjoy them while we can. Chiles en nogada with batter vs. chiles en nogada without batter One of the most heated debates during this season is whether chiles en nogada should be prepared with batter or without. According to chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, the Puebla tradition dictates that chiles en nogada should indeed be battered, but it’s perfectly fine if you prefer to skip this step and enjoy them as is. Sweet chiles en nogada As chef Ricardo has also explained, there are two versions of chiles en nogada, the savory and the sweet, although traditionally the nogada sauce is supposed to be savory. What do you think? Have you tried sweet chiles en nogada? If reading these interesting facts about this Mexican dish has made you hungry, here are some recipes for chiles en nogada for you to prepare at home.Battered Chile en Nogada Chile en Nogada without Batter Vegetarian Chile en Nogada