/ 16 May 2005

Mexican chefs attempt culinary record

About 11 000 people turned out on Friday to feast on an attempt by 250 chefs and culinary students to set a new record for making and eating the region’s renowned nutty spiced chocolate garnish, known as mole.

The chefs spent days preparing the famed Puebla sauce, a traditional Mexican food, after a similar attempt in 2004 by 5 000 tasters failed when the massive pot used to hold the mole shattered.

Organisers estimated that about 11 000 people took part in Friday’s tasting, although videos should provide an exact count.

In all, 800kg of mole sauce was made using four types of chilli peppers, peanuts, banana and Mexican dark chocolate. It also included 200kg of sesame seed, 600 litres of chicken consomme, 2 500kg of chicken and 2,5 tonnes of tortillas.

Organisers hope the number of people tasting and the amount made will go into record books. — AFP