Chili Powder

Although the combination of chile peppers and oregano for seasoning has been traced to the Aztecs, the premixed blend is said to be the invention of early Tex-ans. Chili powder today is a blend of dried chiles, red peppers, oregano, cumin, and garlic powder. Most chili powder is not particularly pungent, but you can make chili as hot as you like by adding cayenne pepper or ground dried chiles. Of course, we all have different sensitivities to hotness. When we are un-sure of our guests’ tolerance for heat, we keep the chili on the mild side and put a bottle of picante sauce, bowls of red pepper flakes and chopped jalapeños, and a tiny dish of cayenne on the table with the other chili condiments. Suggest to anyone not familiar with your chili to keep tasting it while increasing the heat just a pinch at a time.