Forgot the link and the second part:
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/344012
CHILI TEXAS--no beans or tomatoes, chopped beef, homemade spice blend. Teralingua ready. NATIONAL STANDARD (CALIFORNIA?)--ground beef, beans, tomatoes, onions, chili powder, other spices. VEGETARIAN (NEW MEXICO)--green and red chili peppers, beans, onions, tomatoes, homemade spice blend 5 WAY CINCINNATI (OHIO)--ground beef, beans, onions, shredded cheese, sweet spice blend, served on spaghetti
It seems only Bar-B-Que adherents are as contentious as Chili adherents in their regional recipe variations.
The beans/no beans debate is huge in Texas. I tend to think of beanless Chili as New Mexican rather than Texan though. Pork seems to be used more in New Mexico while beef rules in Texas. Sweet white Chili with roasted New Mexico chilies, smoked pork, and Monterrey Jack cheese is only found regionally in New Mexico but it should be the national standard as far as I'm concerned. I can't get the local (to me) midwestern judges to even look twice at my New Mexico White Chili when I enter Charity Chili Cooking Contests. The lack of tomatoes and beef means my recipe needs to be taken further west to be fully appreciated. It's difficult to distinguish between Chili and spaghetti sauce in most of the midwest.
The version listed as national standard is the type I remember eating at a place called Chili Charlies in NYC many years ago. Perhaps Doug remembers the place? They always kept shredded cheddar cheese and diced onions in bowls for patrons to add to their chili as well as ketchup and some hot sauce. I have a tough time imagining it as California in origin but I guess it's possible. It always seems like East Coast chili to me. I think the tomatoes are an eastern touch.
John Thornton
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