Chili pepper is a common household spice that had been in existence for a hundreds of years. It is a vegetable but is commonly referred to as a spice variety. Chili pepper contributes to the hotness and spicy taste in a meal. Some countries and regions all over the world uses chili peppers as a table sauce that are eaten directly with the meal. Sounds hot, isnt it? Chili pepper is an ordinary kitchen staple ingredient. Some households incorporate chili peppers in their meals everyday. A meal is never a meal without chili pepper.

Chili peppers have a chemical component known as Capsaicin which can be effectively washed down by drinking a glass of milk. Milk is found to have components that can block capsaicin receptors. Milk is the perfect neutralizer for capsaicin, not water. Chili peppers have several varieties and these are: habanero, tabasco, cayenne, jalapeno, etc. Chili peppers are further subdivided into three categories namely: sweet peppers, bell peppers and hot peppers.

Chili cook offs are done in Arizona to celebrate this famous spice. Some organizations such as the Chili Appreciation Society International, Inc. (CASI) had been promoting this kitchen recipe wonder to be the National Food of the United States of America. They are harvesting funds through cook offs for charity and public awareness through education of chili. They wanted to promote to the public the historical and cultural significance of chili.

Chili cook offs are often contests. The usual criteria in winning the best chili recipe are: aroma, the red color, consistency, taste and aftertaste. The winning chili recipe usually receives a cash award and a feature in the organizing partys website that shows the recipe formulations.

There are many recipes which can be done through chili peppers. Chili con Carne is a classic favorite and it is very easy to make. It is usually the recipe made during cook offs. Chili con carne is a family favorite. It is widely popular to be a Mexican dish but its roots are actually proven to be Texan.