Happy 5 de Mayo! - Dia de la Batalla de Puebla

   Happy Dia de la Batalla de Puebla! As it is known in all of Mexico's civic calenders, this holiday is mainly celebrated in the school classrooms and in the areas around the city of Puebla. It always seems a bit confusing on exactly what is celebrated today to some foreigners, maybe it has to do with the fact that in the  U.S.A. it is marked as a major Mexican festivity; it is in fact an important date but some people think it's Mexican Independence Day which is on September 16th.

   La Batalla de Puebla was the battle won against the French Empire who came to invade Mexico with ten thousand men of what was considered the finest army in the world, they were received by the General Iganacio Zaragoza and four thousand men who were malnourished, not formally trained and inexperienced. This battle is famous because against all odds the strategy and strong will of the Mexican soldiers allowed them to repel such an eminent threat to our then President Benito Juarez and our nations independence, needles to say the French did manage to over come the government with internal support and for a brief time Mexico had a French emperor, Maximiliano and his wife Carlota.

  So not much happens in La Manzanilla for 5 Mayo, the children in the elementary school make a special edition of the school bulletin board dedicated to the heroes that managed to resist the French troops.

 

La Batalla

   Our friend Oralia has shared her recipe for making Mole Poblano, what a great dish to celebrate the bravery of our brothers from Puebla! 

Receta para hacer Mole de Pollo Poblano por Oralia Valdez.

2 kilos of chicken with skin in pieces (boiled with a bay leave and salt)

2 spoon fulls of toasted sesame seeds 

salt and black pepper 

9 Mulsato chile

7 Pasilla chiles 

6 Ancho chiles

1 cup and 9 spoon fulls of vegetable oil

4 to 5 tomatillos pealed and cooked until softened

5 cloves 

20 gr. of black pepper

1 small cinnamon stick (about 4 cm.)

1 tea spoon of toasted chile seeds

8 spoon fulls of toasted sesame seeds 

4 garlic heads

3 spoon fulls of raisins 

1/4 of a cup of toasted pumpkin seeds

2 corn tortillas cut in to pieces

3 pieces of french bred or roll cut in to small slices (about 3 cm.)

6 to 7 cups of chicken stock 

50 gr. of Mexican chocolate

Mix ingredients and bring to a boil, pour the sauce over the chicken pieces as you serve them, accompanied usually with rice and tortillas.

Holly Mole!



Special thanks to Oralia Valdez and the people from Puebla!