Chili: Chili Cook-offs

Chili cook-offs are culinary competitions that have become so widespread in the United States that they are part of the country’s culture. Thousands of cook-offs are held every year, many of them under the auspices of the Chili Appreciation Society International (CASI) or the International Chili Society (ICS). Both organizations sponsor official chili cook-offs at the local, state, regional, and national levels in which cooks compete for cash prizes (at ICS cook-offs) or trophies (at CASI cook-offs) and millions of dollars are raised for charity.