Pipián is a sauce from

Mexican cuisine Mexican cuisine consists of the cooking cuisines and traditions of the modern country of Mexico. Its earliest roots lie in Mesoamerican cuisine. Its ingredients and methods begin with the first agricultural communities such as the Olmec and M ...

made with puréed greens and thickened with ground pumpkin seeds. The sauce is said to have origins in the ancient Aztec and Mayan cuisines. The greens used to make the sauce include tomatillos and peppers like

poblano The poblano ('' Capsicum annuum'') is a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called ancho or chile ancho, from the Spanish word ''ancho'' ("wide"). Stuffed fresh and roasted it is popular in '' chiles re ...

, serrano and

jalapeño The jalapeño ( , , ) is a medium-sized chili pepper pod type cultivar of the species ''Capsicum annuum''. A mature jalapeño chili is long and hangs down with a round, firm, smooth flesh of wide. It can have a range of pungency, with Scovi ...

. It can be served with

carnitas Carnitas, literally meaning "little meats", is a dish of Mexican cuisine that originated in the state of Michoacán. Carnitas are made by braising or simmering pork in oil or preferably lard until tender. The process takes three to four hours, a ...

, and roasted poultry or vegetables, or served as an enchilada sauce. It is sometimes added to rice and beans to enhance flavor or worked into dough to make spicy

tamales A tamale, in Spanish tamal, is a traditional Mesoamerican dish made of masa, a dough made from nixtamalized corn, which is steamed in a corn husk or banana leaf. The wrapping can either be discarded prior to eating or used as a plate. Tama ...

. Other ingredients used for the sauce are sesame seeds, ancho chile,

peanut The peanut (''Arachis hypogaea''), also known as the groundnut, goober (US), pindar (US) or monkey nut (UK), is a legume crop grown mainly for its edible Seed, seeds. It is widely grown in the tropics and subtropics, important to both small ...

s and spices like cinnamon, cumin and garlic.

References

Squash and pumpkin dishes Ancient dishes Mexican sauces {{Mexico-cuisine-stub