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Wednesday was Mexican Independence Day (no, it’s not Cinco de Mayo), and in terms of food that means one thing: chiles en nogada. Not too many places make it locally, so I made the journey to Michelin Bib Gourmand taqueria Nixtaco in Roseville.
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For the unfamiliar, chiles en nogada is the iconic dish served to celebrate the holiday. For the first half of September, the dish is ubiquitous in Mexico. It’s considerably less known stateside.
“It was a dish that was presented to dignitaries (in the 19th century) by nuns in Central Mexico. In September, when the pomegranates are in season in Mexico, the dish is served across the country,” said Nixtaco executive chef and owner, Patricio Wise.
Poblano peppers are charred and peeled, then stuffed with picadillo, a mix of ground beef, spices, nuts and seasonal fruits such as pears and apples. The pepper is then swathed in nogada, a velvety white sauce made from walnuts. For the final touch, bright red pomegranate arils are sprinkled over the top. The final dish is green, white and red — the colors of the Mexican flag.
For his chiles en nogada, Wise sourced hearty, thick-walled poblanos. The picadillo is made with finely chopped walnuts and raisins, plus roasted tomato, white onion, garlic, and cumin. The final dish is a palate-pleasing jumble of flavors: sweet, savory, chewy, crunchy and creamy, with bright pops from the pomegranate.
According to Wise, the dish can be challenging, even confusing for American diners, who are mostly familiar with the more common cheese-filled, battered and fried chile relleno.
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“Technically it is a chile relleno, a stuffed chile, but the dish itself is different. It tastes sweeter. It’s just different from what people are used to when they hear chile relleno,” he said.
Moreover, chiles en nogada is traditionally served at room temperature. This hasn’t sat well with Nixtaco’s customers, so to appease their tastes, Wise serves them hot.
Chiles en nogada season is fleeting — Wise will serve the last ones today — but part of the pleasure is the anticipation of enjoying them again next year, when Wise will serve them once again at both the Roseville and Folsom locations.
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Nixtaco
Address: 1805 Cirby Way #12, Roseville and 185 Placerville Rd., Suite 150, Folsom
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
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Phone: 916-771-4165 (Roseville); 916-790-8479 (Folsom)
Website: nixta.co