Mole (sauce)

Mole is the feast-day dish, and that is exactly why it goes on the altar. A proper mole asks for a long list of chiles, spices and seeds and hours at the stove, so setting a plate of it out for the dead is a generous tribute: festive, demanding and clearly made with care. It usually arrives over turkey or chicken, sometimes as a filling for tamales, and the style follows the family's region. Mexico City lists it among the dishes offered to adults who have died. If you only have time for one serious cooking project for the ofrenda, this is the one that says the most.