Chili con carne (literally "Chili with meat", often known simply as
chili) is a
spicyA spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, leaf, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for the purpose of flavour, colour, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth....
stewA stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy.Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables , meat, poultry, sausages and seafood. While water can be used as the stew-cooking liquid, wine, stock, and beer are...
made from
chili pepperChili pepper is the vegetable of the plants from the genus Capsicum, members of the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Botanically speaking, the fruit of capsicums are berries...
s,
meatMeat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs, livers, skin, brains, bone marrow, kidneys, or lungs...
,
garlicAllium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that...
,
onionOnion is a term used for many plants in the genus Allium. They are known by the common name "onion" but, used without qualifiers, it usually refers to Allium cepa. Allium cepa is also known as the "garden onion" or "bulb" onion...
s, and
cuminCumin is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native from the east Mediterranean to East India.-Etymology:...
. Traditional chili is made with chopped or ground beef. Variations, either geographic or by personal preference, may substitute different types of meat and may also include
tomatoThe tomato is a herbaceous, usually sprawling plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family that is typically cultivated for the purpose of harvesting its fruit for human consumption...
es, beans, or other ingredients. The name "chili con carne" is a variation of the
SpanishSpanish or Castilian is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that originated in northern Spain and gradually spread in the Kingdom of Castile, evolving into the principal language of government and trade in the Iberian peninsula...
chile con carne, which means "peppers with meat." Chili con carne is the official dish of the
U.S. stateA U.S. state is any one of 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government . Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile...
of
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
. It can be found worldwide in local variations and also in certain American-style fast food restaurants.
Origins and history
Many argue that chili was invented in
MexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
during the 1840s as a replacement for
pemmicanPemmican is a concentrated mixture of fat and protein used as a nutritious emergency foodstuff. The word comes from the Cree word pimîhkân, "pemmican", which itself is derived from the word pimî, "fat, grease". It was invented by the native peoples of North America...
. Some place its origin in
TijuanaTijuana , is the largest city of the Mexican state of Baja California, situated on the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to its sister city of San Diego, California. Tijuana is the westernmost city in Mexico, however, the westernmost population center is located in Isla Guadalupe...
,
Baja CaliforniaBaja California is both the northernmost and westernmost state of Mexico. Before becoming a state in 1953, the area was known as the North Territory of Baja California. It has an area of , or 3.57% of the land mass of Mexico and comprises the northern half of the Baja California peninsula, north...
, or
Ciudad JuárezCiudad Juárez, also known as just Juárez and formerly known as Paso del Norte, is a city and seat of the municipality of Juárez in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. Juárez has an estimated population of 1.5 million people. It stands on the Rio Grande , across the U.S. border from El Paso, Texas...
, Chihuahua.
Charles Ramsdell, a writer from San Antonio in an article called San Antonio: An Historical and Pictorial Guide, wrote: "Chili, as we know it in the U.S., cannot be found in Mexico today except in a few spots which cater to tourists. If chili had come from Mexico, it would still be there. For Mexicans, especially those of Indian ancestry, do not change their culinary customs from one generation, or even from one century, to another."
A Native American Indian legend from Texas, Arizona and New Mexico claims that Chili was a dish taught to them by Venerable Sister
María de AgredaMaría Fernández Coronel y Arana, Abbess of Ágreda or, known in religion as Sor María de Jesús de Ágreda , also known as the Lady in Blue and the Blue Nun, was born and died in Ágreda, a town located in the province of Soria, Castile and León, Spain...
. Described as a beautiful young foreign lady dressed in blue ("The Lady in Blue" or "La Dama de Azul"), in the early 1600's. This mysterious lady was a Spanish Nun who taught the Indians how to prepare a dish made with
venison, spices and
assorted peppers (chiles). Support for this legend can be found in the earliest known record of Sister Ágreda missionary exploits in the New World as recounted in 1670 by Bishop Jose Jimenez Samaniego of Spain. In 1888, Fr.
Michael MullerFr. Michael Müller C.Ss.R. was a prolific Catholic writer of 19th Century in the United States. Father Muller always submitted his works to two Redemptorist theologians and to his religious superiors before publication.-Life:Fr...
's book
CatholicThe word Catholic is derived from the Greek adjective , meaning "universal". In the context of Christian ecclesiology, it has a rich history and several usages. For some, the term "Catholic Church" refers to the church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, made up of the Latin Rite and the 22...
DogmaDogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, ideology or any kind of organization: it is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted or diverged from. The term derives from Greek "that which seems to one, opinion or belief" and that from , "to think, to suppose, to imagine"...
also recounts Sister Ágreda's interactions with Native Americans in Southwestern United States.
Chili is said to be the food of forgiveness and reconciliation. The Mexican origin theory holds that it was created as a complimentary dish served at
cantinaCantina is a word that can refer to various places and establishments. It is similar in etymology to "canteen", and is derived from the Italian word for a wine cellar, winery, or vault. It is probably derived ultimately from the Late Latin canto, meaning "corner".Cantinas are found in many towns...
s, especially to please outsiders, who wanted something spicy and "Mexican" to eat (provided it was free or cheap). It was made with leftovers from the meals prepared in the cantina and served for free to drinking customers.
Chile peppers originated in the Americas and were in wide use in pre-Columbian Mexican culture. Any stew made using significant numbers of chiles might be seen as a forerunner of all modern chili recipes.
While evidence of corn in pre-Columbian proto-chili stews remains to be discovered, its usage can be inferred. Although bulk grain fillers are not considered legitimate ingredients in some recipes,
masa — a meal made from either corn flour (
masa harina) or corn that has been treated with caustic
limeCalcium oxide , commonly known as burnt lime, lime or quicklime, is a widely used chemical compound. It is a white, caustic and alkaline crystalline solid at room temperature. As a commercial product, lime often also contains magnesium oxide, silicon oxide and smaller amounts of aluminium oxide and...
to make
hominyHominy or nixtamal is dried maize kernels which have been treated with an alkali.The traditional U.S. version involves soaking dried corn in lye-water , traditionally derived from wood ash, until the hulls are removed.Mexican recipes describe a preparation process consisting primarily of cooking in...
(
masa nixtamalera)— is often used as a thickener and flavoring.
The Americanized recipe used for expeditions consisted of dried beef,
suetSuet is raw beef or mutton fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys.Suet has a melting point of between 45° and 50°C. , and congeals between 37° and 40°C....
, dried chili peppers (usually
chilepiquenes), and salt, which were pounded together and left to dry into bricks, which could then be boiled in pots on the trail.
The "San Antonio Chile Stand", in operation at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in
ChicagoChicago is the largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and with more than 2.8 million people, the 3rd largest city in the United States...
, helped people from other parts of the country taste and appreciate chili. San Antonio was a significant tourist destination and helped Texas-style chili con carne spread throughout the South and West.
Chili queens
During the 1880s, brightly dressed
HispanicThe Spanish language is the second most-common language in the United States after English. There are more Spanish speakers in the U.S. than there are speakers of French, Hawaiian, and the Native American languages combined...
women known as "chili queens" began to operate around
Military PlazaThe Military Plaza in San Antonio dates back to the eighteenth century as a military and commercial center in San Antonio....
and other public gathering places in downtown San Antonio. They appeared at dusk, when they built charcoal or wood fires to reheat cauldrons of pre-cooked chili. They sold it by the bowl to passersby. The aroma was a potent sales pitch;
mariachi street musiciansMariachi, in relation to the music of Mexico, may also be defined in relation to the conditions associated with its historical development. A mariachi ensemble is an integration of stringed instruments highly influenced by the cultural impacts of the colonial era. Throughout the history of...
joined in to serenade the eaters. Some chili queens later built semi-permanent stalls in the
mercado (local Mexican market.)
In September 1937, the San Antonio Health Department implemented new sanitary regulations that required the chili queens to adhere to the same standards as indoor restaurants. Unable to provide lavatory facilities, the queens and their "street chili" culture disappeared overnight. Although Mayor
Maury MaverickFontaine Maury Maverick was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Texas from January 3, 1935, to January 3, 1939. He is best remembered for his independence from the party and for coining the term "gobbledygook" for obscure and euphemistic bureaucratic language...
reinstated the queens' privileges in 1939, the city reapplied the more stringent regulations permanently in 1943.
San Antonio's
mercado was renovated in the 1970s, at which time it was the largest Mexican marketplace in the U.S. Local merchants began staging historic re-enactments of the chili queens' heyday. The "Return of the Chili Queens Festival" is now part of that city's annual
Memorial DayMemorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May . Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service...
festivities.
Chili parlors
Before
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, hundreds of small, family-run chili parlors (also known as "chili joints") could be found throughout Texas and other states, particularly those in which émigré Texans had made new homes. Each establishment usually had a claim to some kind of "secret recipe."
One of the best-known chili parlors, in part because of its downtown location and socially connected clientele, was Bob Pool's "joint" in
DallasDallas , with a population of 1,279,910, is the third-largest city in Texas and the 8th-largest in the United States. The city is the main economic center of the 12-county Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area that according to the March 2009 U.S. Census Bureau release, had a population of...
, just across the street from the headquarters of the elite department store
Neiman MarcusNeiman Marcus is a luxury specialty retail department store, operated by the Neiman Marcus Group in the United States. The company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and competes with other exclusive department stores such as Barneys New York, Bloomingdale's, and Saks Fifth Avenue...
.
Stanley MarcusHarold Stanley Marcus was an early president and later chairman of the board of the luxury retailer Neiman Marcus in Dallas, Texas, which his father and aunt had founded in 1907...
, president of the store, frequently ate there. He also bought Pool's chili to send by air express to friends and customers across the country. Several members of General Dwight Eisenhower's
SHAPEThe shape of an object located in some space is the part of that space occupied by the object, as determined by its external boundary – abstracting from other properties such as colour, content, and material composition, as well as from the object's other spatial properties The shape (from...
staff during the early 1950s were reported to have arranged regular shipments of chili from Pool's to their Paris quarters.
Original Texas-style chili
Texas-style chili contains no beans, tomatoes, or other vegetables besides chili peppers. The meat (
beefBeef is the culinary name for meat from bovines, especially domestic cattle . Beef is one of the principal meats used in the cuisine of Australia, Europe and America, and is also important in Africa, East Asia, and Southeast Asia...
,
venisonVenison is the culinary name for meat from the family Cervidae. Deer meat, whether hunted or farmed, is termed venison.-Etymology:The word derives from the Latin vēnor...
, or other mature stewing meat) is cut into bite-sized pieces (traditionally, the size of a pecan nut) or coarsely ground. Prime beef and veal are not considered suitable for chili, as they tend to fall apart in long cooking.
SuetSuet is raw beef or mutton fat, especially the hard fat found around the loins and kidneys.Suet has a melting point of between 45° and 50°C. , and congeals between 37° and 40°C....
is also added for flavor, but is often omitted. New Mexico or
AnaheimAn Anaheim pepper is a mild variety of chile pepper. The name "Anaheim" derives from a farmer named Emilio Ortega who brought the seeds to the Anaheim area in the early 1900s...
peppers, or a combination of these or others (such as
pasillaPasilla refers to more than one variety of chile in the species Capsicum annuum.Pasillas are used especially in sauces...
s, chiles de arbol, anchos, etc.) are often used. The kinds and amount of chili peppers used determines the level of heat: for a spicy version, four pepper pods per pound of meat might be used; for a milder version, only 1–3 pods.
Chili powderChili powder is a generic name for any powdered spice mix composed chiefly of chili peppers, most commonly either red peppers or cayenne peppers, which are both of the species Capsicum annuum....
is often used as a substitute for whole chili peppers. A half teaspoon of chili powder is the approximate equivalent of one average-size chili pod.
Pedernales River chili
President Lyndon Johnson's favorite chili recipe became known as "Pedernales River chili" after the location of his
Texas Hill CountryThe Texas Hill Country is a region of Central Texas, USA, that features rolling, somewhat rugged, hills that consist primarily of limestone. It also includes the Llano Uplift and the second largest granite monadnock in the United States, Enchanted Rock, which is located north of Fredericksburg...
ranch. It calls for eliminating the traditional beef suet (on Johnson's doctor's orders, after LBJ suffered a heart attack while he was U.S. Senate Majority Leader) and adds tomatoes and onions. LBJ preferred venison, when available, to beef; Hill Country deer were thought to be leaner than most.
Lady Bird JohnsonClaudia Alta "Lady Bird" Taylor Johnson was First Lady of the United States from 1963 to 1969 during the presidency of her husband Lyndon B. Johnson. Throughout her life, she was an advocate for beautification of the nation's cities and highways and conservation of natural resources and she made...
, the
First LadyFirst Lady or First Gentlemanis the unofficial title used in some countries for the spouse of an elected head of state. In the United States, it is also used for the spouse of the governor.-Origin:...
, had the recipe printed on cards to be mailed out because of the many thousands of requests the
White HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
received for it.
Beans
Beef was plentiful and cheap in San Antonio and other cattle towns. As chili spread east into areas where beef was more expensive, however, chili made with
beanThe common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, is an herbaceous annual plant domesticated independently in ancient Mesoamerica and the Andes, and now grown worldwide for its edible bean, popular both dry and as a green bean. The leaf is occasionally used as a leaf vegetable, and the straw is used for fodder....
s became more prevalent. In some eastern areas, this dish is referred to as
chili beans while the term chili is reserved for the all-meat dish.
Pinto beans are commonly used as chili beans, as are
black-eyed peaThe black-eyed pea, also called black-eyed bean or "mulato gelatto" is a subspecies of the cowpea, grown around the world for its medium-sized edible bean. The bean mutates easily, giving rise to a number of varieties. The common commercial one is called the California Blackeye; it is pale-colored...
s, kidney beans, great northern beans, or navy beans.
Chili bean can also refer to a small red variety of
common beanThe common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, is an herbaceous annual plant domesticated independently in ancient Mesoamerica and the Andes, and now grown worldwide for its edible bean, popular both dry and as a green bean. The leaf is occasionally used as a leaf vegetable, and the straw is used for fodder....
also known as the
pink bean. The name may have arisen from that bean's resemblance to small chili peppers, or it may be a reference to that bean's inclusion in chili recipes.
Most commercially prepared canned chili includes beans. Commercial chili prepared without beans is usually called "Chili No Beans" in the United States. Some U.S. manufacturers, notably
Bush Brothers and CompanyBush Brothers and Company is a family-owned corporation based in Knoxville, Tennessee, best known for its baked beans and more than forty other related products. It operates plants in Augusta, Wisconsin, and Chestnut Hill, Tennessee.-History:...
and Eden Organic, also sell canned precooked beans (with no meat) that are labeled "chili beans". These beans are intended for consumers to add to a chili recipe and are often sold with spices added.
Controversy
A popular saying among self-proclaimed chili purists is, "If you know beans about chili, you know chili ain't got no beans." The concept that beans do not belong in chili may be further credited to the fact that most official chili cookoffs do not allow beans. In many cases, a chili will be disqualified if it contains such ingredients, considered filler.
Pinto beans (
frijoles), a staple of
Tex-Mex cooking"Tex-Mex" is a term used to describe a regional American cuisine that blends food products available in the United States and the culinary creations of Mexican-Americans influenced by the cuisines of Mexico. The cuisine has spread from border states such as Texas and those in the Southwestern...
, have long been associated with chili. The question of whether beans "belong" in chili has been a matter of contention amongst chili cooks for an equally long time. It is likely that in many poorer areas of San Antonio and other places associated with the origins of chili, beans were used rather than meat, or in addition to meat. In that regard, some chili aficionados suggest that there were probably two chili types made in the world, depending on what could be afforded and how frugal the cook was.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are another ingredient considered anywhere from required to sacrilegious when included. Wick Fowler, north Texas newspaperman and inventor of "Two-Alarm Chili" (which he later marketed as a "kit" of spices), insisted on adding tomato sauce to his chili — one 15-oz. can per three pounds of meat. He also believed that chili should never be eaten freshly cooked but refrigerated overnight to seal in the flavor. Matt Weinstock, a Los Angeles newspaper columnist, once remarked that Fowler's chili "was reputed to open eighteen sinus cavities unknown to the medical profession."
Vegetarian chili
Vegetarian chili (also known as
chili sin carne,
chili without meat, or
chili) acquired wide popularity in the U.S. during the 1960s and 1970s with the rise of
vegetarianismVegetarianism is the practice of following a diet based on plant-based foods including fruits, vegetables, cereal grains, nuts, and seeds, with or without dairy products and eggs. Vegetarians do not eat meat, game, poultry, fish, crustacea, shellfish, or products of animal slaughter such as...
. It is also popular with those on a diet restricting the use of red meat. To make the chili vegetarian, the cook leaves out the meat or replaces it with a
meat analogueA meat analogue, also called a meat substitute, mock meat, faux meat, or imitation meat, approximates the aesthetic qualities and/or chemical characteristics of specific types of meat....
, such as
textured vegetable proteinTextured or texturized vegetable protein , also known as textured soy protein , soy meat, or soya meat is a meat analogue or meat substitute made from defatted soy flour, a by-product of making soybean oil...
or
tofuor called toufu, bean curd is a soft white food made by coagulating soy milk, and then pressing the resulting curds into blocks. It is of Chinese origin, and part of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and others. There are many different varieties...
, or a complementary vegetable, such as
potatoThe potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species. Potatoes are the world's fourth largest food...
es.
Many variant recipes exist. Almost any available vegetable can be added, including
cornMaize , is a herbaceous plant domesticated in Mesoamerica and subsequently spread throughout the American continents...
,
squashSquashes generally refer to four species of the genus Cucurbita native to Mexico and Central America, also called marrows depending on variety or the nationality of the speaker. It is also natively grown in other parts of North America, and in Europe, India, and Australia...
,
mushroomA mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus, typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source. The standard for the name "mushroom" is the cultivated white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, hence the word mushroom is most often applied to those fungi that have...
s,
potatoThe potato is a starchy, tuberous crop from the perennial Solanum tuberosum of the Solanaceae family . The word potato may refer to the plant itself as well. In the region of the Andes, there are some other closely related cultivated potato species. Potatoes are the world's fourth largest food...
es, and even
beetThe beet is a plant in the amaranth family. It is best known in its numerous cultivated varieties, the most well known of which is probably the red root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet...
s. Corn, squash, and beans are known as the "
Three SistersThe Three Sisters are the three main agricultural crops of some Native American groups in North America: squash, maize, and climbing beans ....
" of Native American agriculture in the American Southwest. They were cultivated together, and complemented each other as foods. Corn and beans together made a
complete proteinA complete protein is a source of protein that contains an adequate proportion of all of the essential amino acids for the dietary needs of humans or other animals. This does not refer to the protein source only containing all the essential amino acids, but also containing them in complete...
.
One popular variant is
lentilThe lentil or daal or dal , considered a type of pulse, is a bushy annual plant of the legume family, grown for its lens-shaped seeds...
chili. Lentils (usually brown or green lentils) are used in the place of meat. Because of their high protein content, lentils are an excellent meat substitute, and their flavor blends well with the traditional seasonings of chili. Lentil chili is made either with just lentils or combined with other beans. The
seasoningSeasoning is the process of imparting flavor to, or improving the flavor of, food.- General meaning :Seasonings include herbs, spices, which are themselves frequently referred to as "seasonings"...
s are similar to
chili con carneChili con carne is a spicy stew made from chili peppers, meat, garlic, onions, and cumin. Traditional chili is made with chopped or ground beef. Variations, either geographic or by personal preference, may substitute different types of meat and may also include tomatoes, beans, or other ingredients...
.
"Meat on the side" chili
In order to accommodate vegetarians and nonvegetarians with the same chili recipe, some chefs prepare the meat on the side (
al lado), with roughly the same proportion of spices, peppers, onions, etc. as the remainder of the chili. The base chili contains only beans, tomatoes, peppers, and other seasonings. This variant recipe on chili con carne (chili with meat) allows chefs to prepare a single batch of chili which can be enjoyed by vegetarians and other patrons.
When patrons are ready to eat, they can select the amount of meat they desire, add the vegetarian chili to their bowl, mix, and eat.
Secret ingredients
In addition to the expected ingredients listed above, some cooks use more esoteric ingredients to both personalize their recipe and try to ensure its superiority. These may include
sweetcornSweet corn is a variety of maize with a high sugar content and is in fact a vegetable not a fruit. Sweet corn is the result of a naturally-occurring recessive mutation in the genes which control conversion of sugar to starch inside the endosperm of the corn kernel...
,
peanut butterPeanut butter is a food paste made from ground dry roasted peanuts. Major consumer brand peanut butter contains hydrogenated vegetable oil to stabilize it and prevent oil separation, salt to prevent spoilage, and dextrose and other sweeteners to enhance taste. Peanut butter marketed as Natural, or...
,
pineapplePineapple is the common name for an edible tropical plant and also its fruit. It is native to the southern part of Brazil, and Paraguay. Pineapple is eaten fresh or canned and is available as a juice or in juice combinations. It is used in desserts, salads, as a complement to meat dishes and in...
s,
bananaBanana is the common name for a herbaceous plants of the genus Musa, and the commonly eaten fruit it produces. They are native to the tropical region of Southeast Asia, and are likely to have been first domesticated in Papua New Guinea. Today, they are cultivated throughout the tropics.Banana...
s,
orangeAn orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus ×sinensis and its fruit. The orange is a hybrid of ancient cultivated origin, possibly between pomelo and tangerine...
s,
tomatilloThe tomatillo is a plant of the Solanaceae family, related to tomatoes, bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. Tomatillos, referred to as green tomato in Mexico, are a staple in Mexican cuisine...
s,
beerBeer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal grains—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize , and rice are widely...
,
chorizoChorizo is a term encompassing several types of pork sausage originating from the Iberian Peninsula.In English it is usually pronounced , , or , but sometimes mispronounced ....
,
cocoaCocoa is the dried and fully fermented fatty seed of the cacao tree, from which chocolate is made. "Cocoa" can often also refer to the drink commonly known as hot chocolate; to cocoa powder, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa...
,
chocolateChocolate comprises a number of raw and processed foods produced from the seed of the tropical cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia in Mexico, Central and South America, with its earliest documented use around 1100 BC...
,
coffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage prepared from roasted seeds, commonly called coffee beans, of the coffee plant. They are seeds of "coffee cherries" that grow on trees in over 70 countries. It has been said that green coffee is the second most traded commodity in the world behind crude oil. Due to its...
,
tequilaTequila is an agave-based spirit made primarily in the area surrounding the city of Tequila, northwest of Guadalajara, and in the highlands of the western Mexican state of Jalisco. The red volcanic soil in the region surrounding Tequila is particularly well suited to the growing of the blue...
,
colaCola is a beverage usually containing caramel coloring, caffeine, and a sweetener such as sugar or high fructose corn syrup.Originally invented by the druggist John Pemberton, it has become popular worldwide. Coca-Cola has become the major international brand, leading to the drink often being seen...
,
honeyHoney is a sweet food made by some insects using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
,
cinnamonCinnamon is a small evergreen tree belonging to the family Lauraceae, native to Sri Lanka, or the spice obtained from the tree's bark...
,
allspiceAllspice, also called Jamaica pepper, Kurundu, Myrtle pepper, pimenta, or newspice, is a spice which is the dried unripe fruit of Pimenta dioica , a mid-canopy tree native to the Greater Antilles, southern Mexico and Central America, now cultivated in many warm parts of the world...
,
saffronSaffron is a spice derived from the flower of the saffron crocus , a species of crocus in the family Iridaceae. A C. sativus flower bears three stigmas, each the distal end of a carpel. Together with their styles—stalks connecting stigmas to their host plant—stigmas are dried and used in cooking...
,
molassesMolasses is a viscous byproduct of the processing of sugar cane or sugar beets into sugar. The word molasses comes from the Portuguese word melaço, which ultimately comes from mel, the Latin word for "honey". The quality of molasses depends on the maturity of the sugar cane or sugar beet, the...
,
vinegarVinegar is an acidic liquid processed from the fermentation of ethanol in a process that yields its key ingredient, acetic acid. It also may come in a diluted form. The acetic acid concentration typically ranges from 4 to 8 percent by volume for table vinegar and higher concentrations for pickling...
,
wineWine is an alcoholic beverage typically made of fermented grape juice. The natural chemical balance of grapes is such that they can ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes or other nutrients. Wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast consumes...
(usually red), whiskey, and/or
bourbonBourbon is an American whiskey, a type of distilled spirit, made primarily from corn and named for Bourbon County, Kentucky. It has been produced since the 18th century.- Legal requirements :...
. Some cooks prefer a
cast ironCast iron is used for cookware because it has excellent heat retention and diffusion properties and can be produced and formed with a relatively low level of technology. Seasoning is used to protect bare cast iron from rust and to create a non-stick surface.-Bare cast iron:Bare cast-iron vessels...
pot for cooking chili.
CornstarchCornstarch, or cornflour in the United Kingdom and Australia, is the starch of the corn grain. It is also grown from the endosperm of the corn kernel. It has a distinctive appearance and feel when mixed raw with water or milk, giving easily to gentle pressure but resisting sudden pressure...
is frequently used as a thickener, as is
masaMasa is Spanish for dough, but in Mexico it sometimes refers to cornmeal dough . It is used for making tortillas, tamales, pupusas, arepas and many other Latin American dishes...
. Dark chocolate provides an authentic richness akin to that found in Mexican
molé- Animals :* Mole , a.k.a. "true moles", many mammals in the family Talpidae, found in Eurasia and North America* Golden moles, southern African mammals, similar to but unrelated to Talpidae moles...
sauce (
negro,
rojo, or
poblano varieties).
Accompaniments and additions
Several beverages are commonly used to accompany a bowl of chili, including ice-cold
beerBeer is the world's oldest and most widely consumed alcoholic beverage and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from cereal grains—most commonly malted barley, although wheat, maize , and rice are widely...
, cola to provide a sweet contrasting taste, or a glass of cold milk to moderate the impact of the pepper on the throat.
Shredded
cheeseCheese is a food consisting of proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. It is produced by coagulation of the milk protein casein. Typically, the milk is acidified and addition of the enzyme rennet causes coagulation. The solids are separated and pressed into...
is a common topping.
Saltine crackerA saltine or soda cracker is a thin, usually square cracker made from white flour, shortening, yeast, and baking soda, with most varieties lightly sprinkled with coarse salt. It has perforations throughout its surface, to allow steam to escape for uniform rising, and along the edges, as individual...
s are a common accompaniment in chili parlors, where they are broken up and scattered on top. Similarly, commercial corn chips can be added as a topping, producing something akin to Frito pie (see below). Jalapeño
cornbreadCornbread is a generic name for any number of quick breads containing cornmeal.-History:...
, rolled-up corn
tortillaIn Mexico and Central America, a tortilla is a type of thin, unleavened flat bread, made from finely ground maize . In Mexico, there are three colors of maize dough for making tortillas: white maize, yellow maize and blue maize.A similar bread from South America is called arepa...
s, and pork
tamaleA tamale is a traditional Mexican dish of Mesoamerican origin, namely from the Aztec empire, which was soon widespread by Spanish conquistadores throughout their other colonies of what is now Latin America, consisting of steam-cooked corn dough with or without a filling...
s also are popular for dunking into chili. Peanut butter sandwiches or peanut butter on saltine crackers served on the side can also accompany chili.
In Nebraska, a bowl of chili is served with cinnamon rolls, particularly in school cafeterias. In Tennessee it is common to sprinkle vinegar over the bowl of chili. Similarly, a small portion of pickle juice is sometimes used instead. In eastern Tennessee, chili with beans served in a cup with Fritos and sour cream is referred to as a
Petro, after the restaurant chain that introduced the dish at the
1982 World's FairThe 1982 World's Fair was held in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the United States. The theme of the exposition was "Energy Turns the World."It opened on May 1, 1982, and closed on October 31, 1982 after receiving over 11 million visitors...
in
Knoxville, TennesseeFounded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is also the largest city in East Tennessee. As of the 2000 United States Census, Knoxville had a total population of 173,890; the July 2007...
.
Canned chili
Willie Gebhardt, originally of
New Braunfels, TexasNew Braunfels is a city in Comal and Guadalupe counties in the U.S. state of Texas that is part of the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Braunfels means "brown rock" in German; the city is named for Braunfels, in Germany. The city's population was 36,494 as of the 2000 census, and...
, and later of San Antonio, produced the first canned chili in 1908.
Rancher Lyman Davis near
Corsicana, TexasCorsicana is a city in Navarro County, Texas, United States. It is located on Interstate 45 some fifty-five miles south of downtown Dallas. The population was 24,485 at the 2000 census...
, developed
Wolf Brand ChiliWolf Brand Chili is a brand of chili con carne currently owned by ConAgra Foods. It is available either with or without beans.Many companies specializing in import of favorite foods offer prices to ship Wolf Brand around the world.-History of the brand:...
in 1885. He owned a meat market and was a particular fan of Texas-style chili. In the 1880s, in partnership with an experienced range cook, he began producing heavily spiced chili based on chunks of lean beef and rendered beef suet, which he sold by the pot to local cafés. In 1921, Davis began canning his product, naming it for his pet wolf "Kaiser Bill." Wolf Brand canned chili was a favorite of
Will RogersWilliam Penn Adair "Will" Rogers was a Cherokee-American cowboy, comedian, humorist, social commentator, vaudeville performer and actor. He was the father of U.S. Representative and WWII veteran Will Rogers, Jr....
, who always took along a case when traveling and performing in other regions of the world.
Ernest TubbErnest Dale Tubb , nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, was an American singer and songwriter and one of the pioneers of country music. His biggest career hit song, "Walking the Floor Over You" , marked the rise of the honky tonk style of music...
, the country singer, was such a fan that one Texas hotel maintained a supply of Wolf Brand for his visits.
Both the Gebhardt and Wolf brands are now owned by ConAgra Foods, Inc. In the
UKThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
, the most popular brand of canned chili is sold by Stagg, a division of
HormelHormel Foods Corporation is a food company based in southeastern Minnesota , perhaps best known as the producer of Spam luncheon meat. The company was founded as George A. Hormel & Company in Austin, Minnesota, U.S., by George A. Hormel in 1891. The company changed its name to Hormel Foods...
foods.
Another method of marketing commercial chili in the days before widespread home refrigerators was "brick chili." It was produced by pressing out nearly all of the moisture, leaving a solid substance roughly the size and shape of a half-brick. Wolf Brand was originally sold in this form. Commonly available in small towns and rural areas of the American Southwest in the first three-quarters of the 20th century, brick chili has mostly outlived its usefulness and is now difficult to find. In southern California, the Dolores Canning Co. still makes a traditional brick chili called the "Dolores Chili Brick".
Home cooks may also purchase seasoning kits for chili, including packets of dry ingredients such as chili powder, masa flour, salt, and
cayenne pepperThe cayenne, or Guinea pepper or bird pepper is a hot, red chili pepper used to flavor dishes and for medicinal purposes. Named for the city of Cayenne in French Guiana, it is a cultivar of Capsicum annuum related to bell peppers, jalapeños, and others...
, to flavor meat and other ingredients.
White (turkey) chili
Instead of a tomato-based sauce and red meat (beef), white chili is made using great northern beans and turkey meat or chicken breast. The resulting dish appears white when cooked. It has more of an alkaline bean taste instead of the acidic taste of "regular" chili. The spicing of white chili is similar to that of regular chili, though green chili peppers are used more often than red. Turkey is also used as a substitute for beef in regular chili recipes.
Cincinnati-style chili
Cincinnati-style chili is a popular regional variation that is entirely different from Texas-style chili. Most notably, it is usually eaten as a topping for
hot dogA hot dog is a moist sausage of soft, even texture and flavor, often made from advanced meat recovery or meat slurry. Most types are fully cooked, cured or smoked. It is often placed hot in a special purpose soft, sliced hot dog bun...
s (called "Coneys") or
spaghettiSpaghetti is a long, thin, cylindrical pasta of Italian origin. A variety of pasta dishes are based on it, from spaghetti with cheese and pepper or garlic and oil to a spaghetti with tomato, meat, and other sauces...
rather than as a stew by itself. It was invented by
Greek immigrantGreek Americans are American of Greek descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim Greek descent. In addition, the 2000 census revealed...
s, who began serving it in the 1920s. It is much thinner than Texas-style chili, more closely resembling a meat spaghetti sauce and usually not as spicy hot but still with a rich flavor. Traditionally, a small measure of chocolate and/or cinnamon is added to give Cincinnati-style chili its distinctive flavor. In most Cincinnati-style chili restaurants, chili dishes are served "5 ways":
- Chili and spaghetti served together is considered the 2-way.
- Add cheese, beans, or onions on top of a 2-way to get a 3-way, 4-way, or 5-way. Typically, a cheese is the most common ingredient added on a 3-way.
The connection between
cheddar cheeseCheddar cheese is a relatively hard yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese originating in the English village of Cheddar, in Somerset....
and chili probably originated in Cincinnati, since the cheese is typically used in Cincinnati to accompany spaghetti dishes.
Possibly borrowing from the Cincinnati style, chili recipes common in the surrounding Ohio Valley use some or all of the above "5 way" ingredients. It will almost always have some type of pasta in it (usually spaghetti). However, the seasoning is more mainstream, and the chili will have the consistency of soup.
In the 1920s and 1930s chains of diner-style "chili parlors" grew up in the Midwest. , one of these old-fashioned chili parlors still exists on Pine Street in downtown
St. LouisSt. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. With an estimated population of 354,361 in 2008, it is the principal municipality of Greater St. Louis, population 2,866,517, the largest urban area in Missouri and sixteenth largest in the United States...
. It features a chili-topped dish called a "slinger": two hamburger patties topped with melted
American cheeseAmerican cheese is a common processed cheese. It is orange, yellow, or white in color and mild in flavor, with a medium-firm consistency, and melts easily. American cheese was originally only white, but can sometimes be modified to yellow in color. It has traditionally been made from a blend of...
and two eggs, then smothered in chili, all topped off with shredded cheese.
In other parts of the country, this is sold as "hot dog chili" or "hot dog sauce."
Louisville-style chili
Louisville-style chili is a popular regional variation in
Louisville, KentuckyLouisville is Kentucky's largest city and county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's estimated population as of 2008 was 713,877 , with a population of 1,244,696 in the Louisville...
. It is stew-like in consistency. The main difference between Louisville-style and Texas-style is that spaghetti pasta is part of the recipe. The main ingredients are tomatoes, beans, ground beef, onions, and chili powder. Louisville-style chili is spicier than Cincinnati-style but in general, it is not as spicy as Texas-style.
Chile verde (green chili)
Chile verde is a Mexican and Mexican-American stew or sauce usually made from chunks of
porkPork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig . The word pork often denotes specifically the fresh meat of the pig, but can be used as an all-inclusive term which includes cured, smoked, or processed meats It is one of the most-commonly consumed meats worldwide, with evidence of pig...
that have been slow-cooked in chicken broth,
garlicAllium sativum, commonly known as garlic, is a species in the onion family Alliaceae. Its close relatives include the onion, shallot, leek, and chive. Garlic has been used throughout recorded history for both culinary and medicinal purposes. It has a characteristic pungent, spicy flavor that...
,
tomatilloThe tomatillo is a plant of the Solanaceae family, related to tomatoes, bearing small, spherical and green or green-purple fruit of the same name. Tomatillos, referred to as green tomato in Mexico, are a staple in Mexican cuisine...
s, and
jalapeños. Tomatoes are rarely used. Sometimes the sauce is made with
poblanoThe poblano is a relatively mild chile pepper originating in the State of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called an ancho chile. While poblanos tend to be mild, occasionally and unpredictably a poblano can have significant heat....
s instead of or in addition to the jalapeños.
Chile verde is usually moderately spicy, with much of its heat related to the proportion of tomatillos to jalapeños, with more jalapeños producing a more
picante sauce. Green chili powder has become available for chili verde; other seasonings such as garlic or oregano are common. Cumin is used just as in red chili. If beans are included, white beans are used. Chili verde uses pork tenderloin (especially in competition chili) or other "white" pork or, in many home recipes, chicken breast.
Chili verde is "the other competition chili." It has grown in popularity due primarily to being featured on the competitive chili circuit, giving it wide exposure. Chile verde is a common filling for the
San Francisco burritoThe San Francisco burrito refers to a burrito from San Francisco, California, in which the Mexican-American burrito has become a city specialty, as the New York-based writer Calvin Trillin describes in his essay "Grandfather Knows Best": "In San Francisco, the burrito has been refined and...
.
Other dishes made with chili
A "chili dog" is a
frankfurterFrankfurter may refer to:*a sausage as made in Frankfurt; a hot dog*a resident of Frankfurt am Main, Germany*a resident of Frankfurt , GermanyFrankfurter is a German Jewish surname and may refer to:...
served with a topping of chili. Hot dog chili can vary greatly. Coney Island chili sauce is thin and watery; many other restaurant chili sauces resemble a gravy more than the typically thick chili con carne. Other hot dog chilis are thicker, but nearly all feature ground beef rather than any other cuts of beef.
Chili is also added to fries and cheese to make "chili cheese fries," or "Coney Island fries."
In
southeast TexasSoutheast Texas is a subregion of East Texas located in the southeast corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The subregion is geographically centered around the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown and Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan areas...
, some people eat chili served over white
riceRice is the seed of a monocot plant Oryza sativa, of the grass family . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East, South, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and the West Indies...
, much as one would eat
gumboGumbo is a stew or soup originating in Louisiana which is popular across the Gulf Coast of the United States and into the U.S. South. It consists primarily of a strong stock, meat and/or shellfish, a thickener, and the vegetable "holy trinity" of celery, bell peppers, and onion. The soup is...
; this is due to the proximity to Louisiana and the fact that rice is a prominent agricultural crop in the area. The dish is called
New Orleans-style chili.
Unlike traditionally prepared Asian rice, the white rice used for the chili dish is left marginally undercooked, creating a slightly more solid and fibrous texture. It is also used as a cheap and simple way to "pad out" the dish with low-cost ingredients, similar to the traditional use of beans.
Chili over rice (frequently with beans) is also common in
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
(where it is known as
chili rice),
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
,
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, the
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
,
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
,
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe and the senior member of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries; southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and it is bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark borders both the Baltic and the North Sea...
,
SwedenSweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe...
and, to some extent,
AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the continental mainland , the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans...
.
"Chili mac" is a dish made with canned chili, or roughly the same ingredients as chili (meat, spices, onion, tomato sauce, beans, and sometimes other vegetables), with the addition of
macaroniMacaroni is a kind of moderately-extended, machine-made dry pasta. Much shorter than spaghetti, and hollow, macaroni does not contain eggs. Though home machines exist that can make macaroni noodles, macaroni is usually made commercially....
or some other pasta. Chili mac is a standard dish in the U.S. military and is one of the varieties of Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE).
A "
Frito pieFrito pie is a dish made from chili, cheese, and corn chips. It is popular in the Southern and Southwestern United States, particularly the states of Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma....
" typically consists of a small, single-serving bag of
FritosFor the company that produces Fritos, see Frito-Lay.Fritos is the name of a brand of corn chips made by Frito-Lay. Originally called Fritatas, Elmer Doolin was so taken with the bag of corn chips served with his lunch in San Antonio, Texas that he paid $100 for the recipe. In 1932, he started the...
corn chipA corn chip is a snack food made from cornmeal fried in oil or baked, usually in the shape of a small noodle or scoop. Corn chips are thick, rigid and very crunchy...
s with a cup of chili poured over the top, usually finished up with grated cheese or onions and
jalapeñoThe jalapeño is a medium- to large-sized chili pepper which is prized for its warm, burning sensation when eaten. Ripe, the jalapeño can be 2–3½ inches long and is commonly sold when still green. It is a cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum originating in Mexico...
s and sour cream. Frito pies are popular in the
southwestern United StatesThe Southwestern United States is defined as the states that lie west of the Mississippi River, with the qualification of a certain northern limit such as the 37, 38, 39, or 40 degree north latitude. A 97.33 longitude degree west could qualify as the separation of the American Southwest from the...
.
"
NachosNachos are a popular snack food, originating in Mexico and associated with Tex-Mex cuisine. In their simplest form, nachos are usually tortilla chips or totopos covered in melted cheese...
" similarly are
tortilla chipA tortilla chip is a snack food made from corn tortillas, which are cut into wedges and then fried . Corn tortillas are made of corn, vegetable oil, salt and water. Although first mass-produced in Los Angeles in the late 1940s, tortilla chips are considered to be a Mexican food...
s served with a little chili, and is commonly available in restaurants, bars and pubs across the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe. It is an island country, spanning an archipelago including Great Britain, the northeastern part of Ireland, and many small islands...
as a side dish or sharer plate, often with cheese, sour cream, guacamole,
salsaSalsa may refer to any type of sauce. In American English, it usually refers to the spicy, often tomato based, hot sauces typical of Hispanic cuisine, particularly those used as dips...
and slices of pickled
jalapeñoThe jalapeño is a medium- to large-sized chili pepper which is prized for its warm, burning sensation when eaten. Ripe, the jalapeño can be 2–3½ inches long and is commonly sold when still green. It is a cultivar of the species Capsicum annuum originating in Mexico...
s.
"Chili, Chips, & Cheese" is another popular variation that is served in school lunch programs in the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and at home as a snack or meal. It is made exactly as the name would imply with chili and cheese (typically cheddar or american) topped onto chips (typically corn tortilla chips).
A "chili stuffed baked potato" ("chili stuffed spud") is a large
baked potatoA baked potato, also known as a jacket potato when given additional fillings such as cheese, ham, or chicken, is the edible result of baking a potato. When well cooked, a baked potato has a fluffy interior, but a crispy skin....
stuffed with chili and possibly with other ingredients, such as
butterButter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications such as baking, sauce making, and frying...
,
Cheddar cheeseCheddar cheese is a relatively hard yellow to off-white, and sometimes sharp-tasting cheese originating in the English village of Cheddar, in Somerset....
, or chopped onions.
External links