Chili Powder Tidbits

Last week I blogged about the Chili Cookoff in New Hampshire and since the cooler days of fall are close at hand, I wanted to share some interesting tidbits about chili powder.

Did you know that chili powder has protein, iron, calcium, vitamin A and vitamin C?  One tablespoon has about 24 calories.  Some people have some adverse effects when eating chili powder due to the cayenne pepper that some blends contain.  Depending on the types of chilis that the chili powder blend has in them, you can either blend your own or find a mild type of chili powder in your favorite spice store. 

Did you know that when you are blending your own chili powder and you do not have any cumin on hand that you can substitute caraway seeds?  It has very similar flavor, but a little more delicate.

There are so many varieties of chili powder blends such as the American style, which is medium to hot tasting, an Asian style blend that is a little hotter than the American style and a California style, which the blend is made with a mild Anaheim style chile.  There is one other style and that is the New Mexico chili, which is slightly hot, but when added to any meat dish, it tends to be a little mellow.

If you have never tried different styles of chili powders, please experiment with some in your kitchen this fall and winter.  All the taste profiles will be a little different, but well worth the time and effort.  Enjoy!