Spices add heat and flavor to chili.
Basically, chili is a hearty stew of meat and spices. Some cooks might argue about whether to add tomatoes or use chicken in chili, but the spices are usually the same no matter where the chili cook comes from. These spices are combined to create the chili powder found at grocery stores. Do not confuse this blend with chile powder. Chile powder is made from ground, dried chile peppers, but chili powder, with an i at the end, is a spice mixture.
Chile Peppers
Chile powder is made from crushing dried red chile peppers.
Ground, dried chiles add a spicy, sweet flavor and give chili its signature heat. Usually, chili contains slightly spicy, red peppers such as cayenne peppers or milder paprika. For the best flavor, buy only the amount of dried chiles you need for the chili recipe and grind them fresh. The heat of the chile peppers will diminish over time after grinding. If you use ground chile pepper from the store, check the expiration date. If the chile peppers have no odor, discard the powder and purchase fresh.
Cumin
Cumin adds savoriness to the chili. It is available as whole seeds or ground. Look for the whole seeds and toast them in an empty skillet for one to two minutes, or until fragrant. Toasting the seeds releases some of the aromatic compounds that contribute to the flavor the cumin adds to the chili. Grind the cumin seeds after toasting them and just before adding them to the recipe.
Garlic
Fresh garlic can be roasted or used raw before adding it to chili.
Garlic contributes pungency to the chili. If you use fresh garlic and wish to mellow the flavor, roast the peeled garlic cloves in a 400 degree F oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until they turn dark brown. Roasted garlic has a sweeter, milder flavor than fresh garlic or garlic powder. Garlic powder will be the strongest, most concentrated garlic option to add to chili.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon adds a slight sweetness to the chili to round out the flavor.
Cinnamon is a sweet foil to the spicy chile peppers in chili. Grind whole sticks of cinnamon or use the freshest ground cinnamon you can find. Another option is to place a whole cinnamon stick into the chili pot as the stew cooks, but remember to remove it before serving.
Oregano
Mexican oregano is an herb added to chili to provide an authentic Mexican flavor. This herb differs from its Mediterranean cousin of the same name in the strength of its flavor. Mexican oregano has a robust quality, making it stronger than Mediterranean oregano. If you substitute Mediterranean oregano, you will likely not be able to taste the replacement. The use of other spices will mask the subtle flavor difference between the two oregano varieties. If you are unsure which variety of fresh or dried oregano you have, follow the guidelines in your recipe for the amount to add.
Tags: chile peppers, before adding, chile peppers chili, Chile powder, Chile powder made
