Ah, the prestigious and renowned
chiles en nogada—Poblano peppers stuffed with a sweet mixture of meat, fruits, and spices, cloaked in a velvety nogada, and adorned with red pomegranate seeds and green leaves of fresh parsley—are the most awaited dish in central
Mexico from late July to late September.
Have you ever wondered about the history of the
chiles en nogada and how they became the centerpiece of the feast to celebrate
September 15? If so, keep reading to learn a bit more about their history.
Chiles en nogada, a dish full of history It is said that the Augustinian nuns living in the
Convent of Santa Mónica in Puebla presented this delicious dish to the general of the Mexican Army, Agustín de Iturbide, in celebration of both the
Independence of Mexico from Spain and the day of Saint Augustine, on August 28, 1821.

However, Mexican historian Guadalupe Pérez San Vicente asserts that
chiles en nogada date back to the 18th century, as the first recipe for this dish appears in the cookbook
La típica cocina poblana y los guisos de sus religiosas by Salazar Monroy.
You may be interested in:Why is chiles en nogada so significant in our culture? The original dish was a kind of
dessert made with the best products of the end-of-season harvest: poblano peppers, creole peaches, pear apples, panochera apples, and California walnuts grown in
Calpan,
Puebla.

At that time,
poblano peppers were commonly stuffed, breaded, and fried in the style of baroque culinary fashion, while the nogada, which was a silky sauce made from walnuts, was usually poured over different types of meat.
Over the years, hand-chopped pork was incorporated into the filling of the
chiles en nogada, so this dish ceased to be categorized as a dessert and became an iconic main course.
You may be interested in: What you weren't told about chiles en nogada Today,
chiles en nogada may or may not be breaded, ground beef may replace pork, and cream cheese may reduce the amount of walnuts used in the nogada.
Every family in Mexico has made the recipe for
chiles en nogada their own and, in turn, has created their own version of this delicious dish full of flavor and tradition.
Whether this iconic dish first appeared in history during such an emblematic period or was created much earlier,
chiles en nogada are a celebration of
Mexico in its entirety: the green parsley, the white nogada, and the red pomegranate seeds showcase the colors of our country's flag in a patriotic homage that is enjoyed in our country year after year.
Would you like to prepare
chiles en nogada this season? Here are some recipes so you can enjoy this
historical dish:
Classic chiles en nogada Chiles en nogada without batter Economic chiles en nogada