What are we doing at Geauga News? Why, we are getting ready for the Annual Chili Cook-off! This family friendly event will be held at the Middlefield Market Pavilion at 15848 Nauvoo Rd., Middlefield, Ohio on Saturday, February 22, from 11:00 am to 4:30 pm.
Chili Tasting kits are only $3.00 which will include tasting cups, spoon, napkins, and a voting ballot. You will be given the opportunity to taste some of the best chili in the county, and when all your sampling is done, you can vote for your favorite to receive the People’s Choice Award, a high honor for those who compete. So please bring your family and friends, and come enjoy some great chili and live musical entertainment.
Now, here’s a question. How do you like your chili; beans or no beans?
Did you know one man is responsible for our chili not having beans in chili cook-off competitions since 1951? His name is John Haddaway, a well known prophet to the world of chili. But did you know that chili originally made prior to the 1900s actually had no beans in them at all? In fact, the earliest cookbooks that date back to the 1870s show us that chili recipes never used beans. So why do we put them in there today?
It is said that a true chili has no beans. For some, this is hard to swallow, but it is the truth. Chili is a true Southwestern dish, going back to the days of the Alamo, before the American Civil War, and no beans were ever added.
When did the beans get put into chili? The earliest recipe for “chili with beans” was found in a boarding house cookbook dating back to the 1880s. It includes chili with beans on the border; border meaning, on the side. They were not placed directly into the pot to cook, but could be added if one wanted to have beans in their own bowl.
Why are beans added? Beans today are a taste preference; you either like them or you don’t. You either add them or you don’t. When placed into chili, beans have a way of masking the bitter tastes given off by the chili powder. They also add some flavors to the chili, making it easier to satisfy the pickiest of eaters.
Today beans are canned in factories and we no longer have to soak the beans for hours on end prior to their usage in a recipe. For this reason alone, I can see why the early settlers would forgo using them.
A wise man by the name of Jerry Jeff Walker once said, “If you know beans about chili, you know chili has no beans!”
Geauga News will not be giving out any list of ingredients or how my homemade chili will be made, at least not prior to the competition. There are a few secret ingredients within the recipe, but I can tell you this – it contains no beans! We at Geauga News will be doing what the early pioneers did and be placing our beans on the border.
So the question was, beans or no beans? Seems like you hold the answer!
