Hot stuff

You’ve warmed your innards with it at icy events from EagleFest to Chili To Go—but do you know where it came from?

By BRITTANY McNAMARA

Claimed to be the “bowl of blessedness” by Will Rogers and “one of the few foods that has its own god” by cookbook author Diana Kennedy, chili has cooked up one hot reputation. The origin of chili, and the best chili recipe, has been debated for centuries; but one thing is for sure, chili was not concocted in Mexico.

The beginnings of chili stemmed from immigrants from the Canary Islands who tried to recreate traditional cuisine, a spicy stew that people find similar to chili. Local Southwestern American Indians also inspired the idea of chili with their Pemmican, a high-energy, on-the-go food consisting of nuts, berries, chopped buffalo meat and bear grease or buffalo fat.

The first to create the chili Americans know today, according to some authorities, were cattle drivers and trail hands of the mid 1800s. The story goes that a range cook would collect onions, wild garlic, chile peppers and whatever fresh-killed meat was available. To make sure that spices were always on hand wherever they traveled, the cook planted gardens along the cattle drive paths in patches of mesquite where the spices would be protected from foraging cattle.

However, there are other experts who say that chili was born in Texas prison kitchens in the late 1800s where it was fed to prisoners. Prison chefs reportedly used the cheapest available ingredients to create a type of gruel with tough beef, chile peppers and spices, components typically found in chili. Inmates frequently rated a prison on the quality of its chili; it was also common for freed inmates to ask the prison for their chili recipe.

Whichever story holds more truth, the obsession for chili spread, resulting in chili parlors and “Chili Queens” throughout Texas towns. Large food markets were set up in a town square by day, but at night, the Chili Queens would come out, set up their stands and sell chili to customers. Ultimately, because of health regulations, these women were given the boot and now are only seen at the “Return of the Chili Queens Festival” during Memorial Day celebrations in San Antonio, Texas.

In the meantime, chili parlors spread all over the country. Many small-town cafes served little other than chili and often amounted to a tiny shack with a few bar stools next to a counter; the only thing separating the kitchen from the dining room was a blanket. But, for many people, chili meant avoiding starvation as it was cheap and crackers came with it for free.

Probably the most famous chili was from Chasen’s Restaurant in Hollywood, CA. Dave Chasen, the restaurant owner and ex-vaudeville performer, often had actors and actresses come to buy his chili by the quart. Elizabeth Taylor even had some shipped to Rome for $200 while shooting the film Cleopatra.

The first World’s Chili Championship began in Terlingua, TX in 1952. Any ingredients could be used; the only stipulation was that no beans were allowed in the chili.

Perhaps the most famous cook-off occurred in 1967 between champion Homer “Wick” Fowler and Dallas newspaper reporter H. Allen Smith. Smith had written an article in which he proclaimed that no one in Texas made chili correctly, and he included a recipe that called for beans. The competition ended in a tie when a judge spit out his chili and announced that his taste buds were ruined.

Over the years, chili has continued to hold a strong presence in Southwestern culture, with Texas declaring chili as the state food in 1977. All over the country, competitions and festivals are held every year, and the passion for this spice dish remains.

But chili enthusiasts beware. Margaret Cousins once stated, “Addictions to it are formed early in life and the victims never recover.”

Local chili events

Next up: Cochecton’s Chili to Go on February 15

The explosion in chili cook-offs around the country is being replicated in the Upper Delaware Valley region. There was the Chili and Wing Cook-off in Hawley, PA on January 25, the Chili Day in October cook-off at Bethel Woods, and there is another cook-off coming on February 15. Then, the Cochecton Volunteer Ambulance Corps will hold it’s second annual Chili-To-Go fundraiser and cook-off at the ambulance building in Lake Huntington from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm. Participants have the opportunity to vote for their favorite chili, purchase baked goods and take a shot at winning free firewood. For more information call 845/932-7956.