Cook-off
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A cook-off is a cooking competition where the contestants each prepare dishes for judging either by a select group of judges or by the general public. Cook-offs are very popular among competitors (such as restaurants) with very similar dishes, such as chili, and serves as a way to decide which recipe is the best for that particular dish.[1]
Chili cook-off[edit]
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A chili cook-off is a social event, similar to a barbecue, in which competitors prepare their own particular recipe for chili con carne and submit it for taste testing. A cook-off may be an informal gathering with the simple goal of sharing recipes and enjoying food, or it may be a large-scale event with an official panel of judges and substantial prizes for winners.
The Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI) sanctions over 550 cook-offs annually that raise over $1,000,000 for charity. Corporate CASI, which sanctions cook-offs, tabulates cookoff results, and puts on the annual Terlingua International Chili Championship, has an annual income of approximately $250,000. Out of this annual income around $60,000 goes to charity. The CASI is a 501(c)(3) corporation.
The International Chili Society (ICS) organizes chili cook-offs as fundraisers. Its annual cook-offs are on a grand scale, with regional qualifying events that attract tens of thousands of participants and a "World Championship" cook-off held in October. The ICS has raised millions of dollars for charity[2] while still awarding hundreds of thousands of dollars to winners.
As early as 1970, many communities have hosted non-ICS cook-offs, leading to a competing "World Championship" cook-off in Terlingua, Texas.
The UK Chilli Cook-off Association organises chilli cook-offs as throughout the UK as fundraisers, culminating in the UK grand final at the Upton Cheyney Chili Festival near Bath, UK – Winners qualify for the World Food Championships Chili Cookoff
Many chili cook-offs were either canceled or moved to virtual events because of the COVID-19 pandemic, from 2020 to 2021.[3][4]
Notable chili cook-offs[edit]
- Chilympiad in San Marcos, Texas (1970–2002)
- Lone Star Chili Cook-off in New York City
Ribfest[edit]
A ribfest is a cook-off typically for pork ribs.
Notable ribfests[edit]
- Canada's Largest Ribfest – Burlington, Ontario[5]
- Best in the West Nugget Rib Cook-off – Sparks, Nevada[6]
- London Ribfest – London, Ontario[7]
- Toronto Ribfest – Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada[8]
- Canada's largest Halal Barbeque and Fast Food Truck Festival, Toronto, Ontario[9]
See also[edit]
- The Great British Bake Off, a British television cooking competition series
- First Lady Bake-Off
References[edit]
- ^ "Host a Chili Cook-Off". BettyCrocker.com.
- ^ "International Chili Society". Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2008-08-16.
- ^ "Belleville Chamber of Commerce". The Greater Belleville Chamber of Commerce.
- ^ "Chili cook-off canned by COVID-19; Freeland explores taking festival virtual – The Green Laker".
- ^ "Canada's Largest Ribfest – | Great Music | Great Food | Great Fun". canadaslargestribfest.com.
- ^ "Nugget Rib Cook Off".
- ^ "Family Shows Canada". canadasbiggestparty.com.
- ^ "2021 Ribfest Drive-Thru".
- ^ "HalalRibfest". www.halalribfest.com. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
External links[edit]
- Chili Appreciation Society International, a national/international cook-off organizer and promoter of chili for charity
- Piedmont Pepper Pod, the North Carolina subgroup of CASI
- International Chili Society, a major cook-off organizer
- Munich, Germany's long-running chili cook-off
- Lone Star Chili Cook-off Texas style Chili Cook-off in New York City
- American Seafood Cook-off[permanent dead link]
- NOLA.com
- The Food Experiments, a NYC-based cookoff series
- Mackinac Island Chili Cook-off, held each February on this remote Island in the Upper Midwest
- The UK Chilli Cook-off Association