(NEXSTAR) – Hispanic Heritage Month is a great time to celebrate Latin culture, and no celebration would be complete without one of Mexico's signature dishes, mole. The sauce is synonymous with celebration — and its history goes back further than you might think. Mole (pronounced MOHL-leh) is deeply rooted in indigenous Mexican cuisine but it's blended with Spanish favors. The sauce dates back to the Aztecs, specifically the Nahua people, and the dish continued to adapt using ingredients and processes the indigenous people (and conquistadors) learned from each other, as explained by Food Network. The word "mole" comes from the Nahuatl language word "molli," which means "sauce," and while there are a variety of types, the most well known are mole poblano and mole negro, which originate in the states of Puebla and Oaxaca, respectively. While mole ingredients depend on which type you're making, both poblano and negro are made with dark chocolate. As explained by Taste of Home, mole sauces get their complex flavors from five different categories: "chiles (at least two different types); sour (tomatoes or tomatillos); sweet (dried fruits or sugar); spices; and thickeners (bread, nuts or seeds)." At Casa de Español, a Spanish language school and cultural center in Sacramento, owner Maria Harrington has made it her mission to teach Spanish and the diverse cultures that speak it. One way she's doing that is through food, and specifically, mole. Each year they throw the Festival Del Mole, where they showcase eight different moles. And that's no easy feat. Mole isn't quick or easy to make. It can days to prepare and includes dozens of ingredients. "You can have up to 30 different ingredients in a mole," Harrington told Nexstar's Noah Anderson. "The nuts and the seeds and the chocolate and the chiles, all together." Harrington said her mole appreciation started with grandmother (whose mole she says is "the best in the world, of course") and that getting to eat the dish was reserved for special occasions because it would take her grandmother a whole week to make it. True to Harrington's story, for many, the dish is a bridge between generations: a way to gather, celebrate and pass down their heritage. "Having our grandparents, or our great-grandparents teaching us the history of our family — it's something that, [when] handed down, makes us stronger people. Knowing where we come from allows us to move forward." Finally, one final fact about mole: guacamole, despite its name (which translates to "avocado sauce" from Nahuatl) is not typically considered a "mole."