Guide Note

Chili is a thick stew, most often containing meat and peppers. Most meats and vegetables are optional, however peppers are a signature ingredient, and the taste of the chili often depends significantly on the spicyness of the peppers.

Fast Facts

1. Chili Con Carne is the official dish of Texas
2. Most American chili cookoffs do not allow beans
3. Milk is the best beverage to soothe the spice of chili
4. 1908: First canned chili
5. A frequent topping on hot dogs, french fries and macaroni and cheese

Combining beef and chili peppers in a stew is a distinctly Mexican concept, although it is not clear when the pre-Columbian tomato-based stew evolved into the thick, meaty chili recognized today.

1. Texas Chili - Simple and strict, Texas chili must not contain beans or any other vegetable besides peppers. Vegetarian or turkey chilis are also unacceptable. The chili must contain either beef or venison
2. Cincinnati Chili - A thinner sauce than Texas chili, Cincinnati chili is used most often as a topping on pasta or hot dogs. It contains beef, peppers and often cinnamon or chocolate.
3. Chili Verde - This variation contains slow-cooked pork, most often with tomatillos and jalapenos as the main peppers. It is frequently used as a filling inside a San Francisco Burrito.