A mole is a creamy sauce made from chili peppers, dried spices, fruits, herbs, nuts and seeds. Mole poblano also incorporates poblano peppers, and is perfect for Cinco de Mayo.

Mole poblano is rumored to have been invented at the Santa Rosa convent in Puebla, Mexico by a nun who whipped up a last-minute dish for an important guest during the 1600s.

Cinco de Mayo and mole poblano both originated in Puebla. Cinco de Mayo, or the Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, memorializes a 1862 battle during the Franco-Mexican War.

Mexican immigrants in the U.S. popularized the holiday during the mid-1900s. Cinco de Mayo celebrations include folk dancing, mariachi music, and Mexican dishes like mole poblano.