Pozole

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Interior of pozolería (pozole restaurant) kitchen, Chilapa de Alvarez, Guerrero, Mexico

Pozole (from Spanish pozole, from Nahuatl potzolli; variant spellings: posole, posolé, pozolé, pozolli, posol) is a traditional pre-Columbian soup or stew made from hominy, with pork (or other meat), chile, and other seasonings and garnish, such as cabbage, lettuce, oregano, cilantro, avocado, radish, lime juice, etc. There are a number of variations on pozole, including blanco (white or clear), verde (green), rojo (red), de frijol (with beans), and elopozole (sweet corn, squash, and meat).

A bowl of Pozole in Cuernavaca

In modern times, pozole is eaten both in Mexico and the southwestern United States, particularly the state of New Mexico. It (or something like it) has been served for centuries by native cultures in southern North America.

The Mexican cafeteria chain Potzolcalli ("House of Pozole") serves a variety of pozoles, including red, white and seafood.

Pozole has been adopted as the local cuisine of the Mexican state of Guerrero and the US state of New Mexico. In New Mexico, pozole is traditionally served on Christmas Eve to celebrate life's blessings. In Colorado, onions are typically used as a garnish instead of radishes. In Guerrero, breakfast pozole is often accompanied by a shot of homemade mezcal, green pozole is typically served on Thursday. A similar Salvadoran soup called Sopa de Pata has cow's foot in it.

A person who is fond of pozole is known in Mexico as a pozolero.

An episode of Rick Bayless' PBS television show Mexico: One Plate at a Time was devoted to pozole, and the pozole of Guerrero state in particular, and included visits to Guerreran pozolerías, such as shown in the photo.

In the American Southwest, the spelling "posole" is more common, and is often used as a synonym for hominy. In parts of northern New Mexico some of the native Hispanic people pronounce it with a silent E. "posol"