Wayne Lundberg wrote:
> Jack, wherever you found it, it is the best mole recipe I have ever seen.
> But to answer the question regardig where the black comes from, I was told
> by a real Oaxaca chef that the black comes from burned corn tortillas ground
> up in the mix. The burned taste does not come across due to all the other
> flavors competing for attention in your taste buds.

"CHILHUACLE NEGRO Heat: 4-5
This prized and very expensive chile is grown, like the related
chilhuacle amarillo, only in southern Mexico. Shiny, dark, mahogany in
color, and shaped like a miniature bell pepper or almost heart shaped.
Measures about 2 to 3 inches long and the same across at the shoulders.
One of the most flavorful of all chiles, it has a deep, intense fruit
flavor, with tones of dried plum, tobacco, and liquorice, and a subtle,
spicy heat. Used to make the black mole sauces that are a specialty of
the Oaxaca region."

The photo of the above chile shows it to be almost black.. hence the
name "negro".

Wherever the black color of the mole comes from... this is where it
gets the name.

Jack