International Flavors: Mexican recipe from NIU student

Ethan Rodriguez

Andy Ayala, a third-year marketing major, is pictured in the Peters Campus Life Building, 545 Lucinda Ave. He shared his family recipe for his mom’s molé, a sauce enjoyed in Mexico. (Ethan Rodriguez | Northern Star)

By Nina Alexander, Lifestyle Writer

Dec 2, 2025

Food is often used as the bridge to piece together different cultures. When thinking about people and places different from one’s own, the first thing that comes to mind is the delicious and tangible ways people connect with each other through their taste buds.

At NIU, a campus with a diverse student body including approximately 970 international students as of May 2025, students from around the world not only bring new flavors to our university but create a community around them with the dishes they bring to the table.

In this series, we feature different students who have introduced us to some of their favorite cultural foods. The recipe for each cultural food can be found below.

Our journey through different dishes brings us finally from sweet to savory, and straight to Mexico with smells that fill the kitchen with spice, smoke, a little sweetness and a whole lot of soul with a traditional Mexican sauce called molé.

Molé is a complex sauce that is typically served over chicken and rice, with a taste that can vary by region. It is a combination of dried chili, spices, seasonings, nuts, fruit and even chocolate (or cocoa powder) that creates a flavor profile that is not only confectionary, but multifaceted in the way it holds its spiciness and savory notes just as well.

Andy Ayala, a third-year marketing major, shares feelings of the simple joy that come from having a taste of home, and talks about how having foods made with the sauce can feel like a simple luxury when he gets to enjoy it.

“My mom makes it for special occasions, like I ask for it for my birthday because it’s my favorite dish ever,” he said. “It’s hard to make all the time since you make it in large batches, so she only makes it for very special occasions. Or when I go back to Tonatico where my family is from, they make it all the time, so I try to eat as much as I can before I get sick of it or leave.”

MOLÉ SAUCE

Cooking and Prep time: 15 of prep, 35 min of cook time

Serving size: 4 cups (liquid)

Ingredients:

HANDMADE DOUGH

6 dried chilies of choice (2 varieties with medium heat)

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 seedless prune (or dark raisins)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

6-10 cloves of garlic, smashed

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin

2 teaspoons coriander

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground cloves

1-2 canned chipotle peppers

1 tablespoon juice from canned chipotle peppers

¼ cup peanut butter

1 ½ – 2 ounces of dark chocolate

Salt and pepper to taste

How-to-make molè sauce:

Cut or tear the dried chillies open and remove seeds and stems. Then, toast the chillies by placing them in a dry cast iron skillet over medium heat until they release their oils (approximately 3 to 4 minutes).
Remove chillies from the skillet, then add them into a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the chilies are added, add broth and bring to a boil, cover, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add prunes, stir, cover and simmer on low for 10 more minutes. Turn off the heat, then set aside to cool.
While chilies and prunes are simmering, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic cloves, cook and then stir often for 10 to 15 minutes until golden brown.
Toast the spices by adding the chili powder, cumin, coriander, oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, enclose to the cast-iron skillet and cook with the onions and garlic for two more minutes, stirring often. Then, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Blend with a hand mixer or blender until smooth, scraping down the sides. Once the mixture is smooth, pour the sauce back into a skillet. Simmer over low heat to mix together the flavors.
Finally, finish the sauce by adding chocolate and peanut butter to the sauce, and once both are fully melted, season with sea salt and cracked pepper to taste.

Each of the dishes in this series tells stories of family, national pride and the nostalgia that comes with having favorite dishes from childhood. Despite each dish having their own unique flavor, they share a sense of connection, and in a school filled with students from all corners of the world, sharing a meal can be the first step towards immersing yourself in new cultures.

So, even with there being a chance of a language or cultural barrier, there is always one thing that college students can count on, and that is the undeniable fact that all of us understand the language of good food.

International Flavors

About the Contributors

Nina Alexander, Former Lifestyle Writer

Nina Alexander (she/her) is first-year student majoring in anthropology. She is a lifestyle writer at the Northern Star by day, and usually a panicking over which outfit to choose by night. Coming from Oklahoma plains to Illinois cornfields for her freshman year, she enjoys shopping, going to EDM concerts and attending museum events. When not in the office, you can find her all over NIU, but you’re sure to find her wherever there’s food on campus.

Ethan Rodriguez, Former Photojournalist

Ethan Rodriguez is a sophomore from the greater St. Charles area majoring in chemistry. He started his career at the Northern Star in the fall 2024 semester. Outside of the news cycle, he enjoys photographing nature and the night sky.

International Flavors: Mexican recipe from NIU student

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