Peanut allergy, understood in Spanish.

Mole · mole negro / mole poblano

Traditional mole negro and mole poblano contain peanuts, sesame seeds, and almonds all ground invisibly into the sauce alongside dried chiles and chocolate — a single plate of mole can trigger reactions to multiple allergens simultaneously, and none are detectable by sight or taste. In coastal Oaxaca, mole negro may also contain dried-shrimp broth, adding a shellfish allergen.

Peanuts and sesame are confirmed load-bearing ingredients in mole negro and mole poblano (Rick Bayless, Larousse Cocina, Pati Jinich). Almonds are standard in mole poblano; walnuts and pecans also appear in mole negro. Several mole varieties (coloradito, rojo, manchamantel) are thickened with stale bread or breadcrumbs, making them unsafe for celiac travelers. The shellfish risk (dried shrimp broth) is specific to Isthmus of Tehuantepec and coastal Oaxacan variants. Ask specifically: '¿Este mole lleva cacahuate, ajonjolí, nueces, o pan?'

Salsa macha · salsa macha

Salsa macha is a chile-oil condiment from Veracruz that looks like plain chili oil but contains peanuts and sesame seeds as core ingredients; it is often placed on tables or offered proactively without being ordered, and the dark red oil provides no visual cue that peanuts are present.

All traditional salsa macha recipes from Veracruz include both peanuts and sesame seeds as standard, non-optional ingredients alongside dried chiles and oil. Some modern versions substitute tree nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pepitas) for peanuts, so tree-nut allergy is also relevant when the preparation is unknown. The sauce is increasingly common across Mexico. Always ask before using any table oil condiment.

Pipián / pepián sauce · pipián / pepián

Pipián is commonly described as a pumpkin seed sauce, but regional versions routinely add peanuts, almonds, pecans, or walnuts as thickeners alongside the pepitas, and sesame seeds are standard in pipián rojo. All are ground smooth into the sauce, so a server's answer of 'it's a pumpkin seed sauce' does not mean it is nut-free.

Peanut presence is not universal: some versions use only pepitas and sesame, while pipián rojo (Jalisco style) includes peanuts as a core thickener. Colonial-era convent kitchens introduced almonds to the Indigenous pepita base; northern Mexican versions commonly use pecans; some cooks substitute walnuts. Sesame is confirmed in pipián rojo across multiple recipes. Ask specifically: '¿Este pipián lleva cacahuate, almendra, nueces, o ajonjolí?'

Encacahuatadas · encacahuatadas

Encacahuatadas are corn tortillas drenched in a sauce whose primary ingredient is roasted peanuts (cacahuate). The dish name comes from the word cacahuate, but travelers who do not recognize the Spanish word for peanut may order or accept encacahuatadas under the broader label of enchiladas without realizing peanut is the base of the entire sauce.

Peanut is the defining, load-bearing ingredient of the sauce, not a trace allergen. Traditional fillings are chicken, though vegetable versions exist. Traditional serving typically adds crema and queso fresco on top, so dairy is also present. The dish is closely related to mole de cacahuate and pollo encacahuatado.