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A Few "Bites" of Chili
What is Chili?
"Chili con carne" is Spanish for "chili with meat." It was traditionally made with diced or ground beef and chilies. Whether or not to add beans quickly became a regional controversy. For example, in New Mexico, stewed pinto beans were served on the side. In the Midwest, chili seasoned beans or red kidney beans were stirred right into the chili.
Today, however, chili has become such a trendy dish that we see a number of new varieties, including vegetarian chili, white chili made with chicken, some on pasta and many other varieties.
What does the term "chile" refer to?
The seasonings added to a recipe to create a "bowl of red". Chili (the spelling with "i") refers to the dish; chile (the spelling with an "e") refers to the peppers.
What is a chilihead?
Any person who enjoys a great bowl of chili.
What is the spice that gives chili its unique flavor?
Obviously, the flavor of chili begins first and foremost with chili peppers. In addition, cumin provides a special flavor. Most chili seasonings also contain garlic and oregano.
What is capsaicin?
A potent compound found in the seeds and membranes of chile peppers that makes your mouth burn and eyes water. The heat in a chile pepper is measured in scoville units.
What makes chili addicting?
When capsaicin comes in contact with the nerves in your mouth, pain signals are sent to the brain. Subsequently, the brain releases endorphins, natural painkillers that create a feeling of well-being. The more spicy food you eat, the more endorphins are released. The effect is a pleasurable feel that true chiliheads crave.
What is the best way to cool a burning mouth?
Milk, yogurt or sour cream. Water, soda, or beer won't work.
REGIONAL CHILIES. . . A STORY OF DIVERSITY
No two chilies are ever alike! Even within the same region, people pride themselves on making their own special dish. However, some regions have become famous for certain types of chili. Here is a quick look at traditional, regional chilies:
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New Mexico |
Chili-flavored sauce tops chunks of beef; pinto beans might be served on the side. Generally the chili must be pure, without unique ingredients. |
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Texas |
Coarsely ground beef seasoned with chili seasonings and onion. Beans and tomatoes are optional. Other, unique, ingredients might be added by the adventurous. |
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Mid-western |
Ground beef, tomatoes, red or kidney beans, and chili seasoning form the basis. Often the mixture is quite red and may be milder than its Texas cousins. |
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Cincinnati Chili |
Chili made from ground beef, often seasoned with a hint of cinnamon and served over spaghetti. It is then topped with your choice of beans, Cheddar cheese and/or chopped onion. |
CHILI-WHAT A HISTORY!
While most agree that chili is an "All-American Food," few will agree on the exact origin. Here are just a few of the possibilities.
Jerky, fat, and native chiles might have been pounded together to form a nonperishable trail ration for those traveling to the California gold fields.
Meat, especially game, was served with monotonous regularity at almost every meal for early settlers. It would be inevitable that early cooks, desiring to improve flavor, would add the local, wild-growing chile peppers to their dish.
Some believe chili originated in San Antonio. By chopping tough meat and adding chiles, the poor had an inexpensive, yet tasty dish. In the late 1800's, chili became so popular there that people could walk down to the city's plaza where they found decorated booths, street musicians, and the aroma of chili. Few could resist the flavorful chili served by the vendors, or "chili queens."
Cheap prison food in Texas in the late 1800's was a stew made of tough beef, chiles, and spices, boiled in water to an edible consistency.
Women who washed the clothes for the Mexican armies in the 1830’s might have created chili in the Rio Grande area. These women stayed after the armies retreated and cooked chili for the Texas militiamen.
Trail cooks often served stew to cowboys on cattle drives. Since chile peppers grew wild and beef was readily available, it was logical to combine the two and serve chile-seasoned stews. It is also possible that if a chuck wagon cook ran out of black pepper, they might have used the local hot, red pepper and if they used the same amount as the mild, black pepper, they created a spicy stew.
Chili powder was introduced in the 1890's, so chili could easily be made in many parts of the country. The quality greatly improved in the 1930's when C. L. Williams of Webb City, Mo., decided to market his mother's chili seasoning and created a tasty legacy – Williams Chili Seasoning.
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