February 28, 2019 is National Chili Day: Whether you prefer it Texas-style, Mexican-style, or vegetarian, chili served with a side of cornbread is a fabulous comfort food for the winter season.

Despite popular belief, chili does not come from Mexico. The recipe has certainly been influenced by Mexican culture, but it also incorporates elements from Native American and Spanish culinary traditions. Many historians believe chili originated in Texas where all three of these cultures intersected.

According to legend, Spanish priests called the first chili “the soup of the Devil” because they believed that chili peppers were an aphrodisiac. To celebrate National Chili Day, indulge in a delicious bowl of this historical spicy stew!

Where was chili originated?
In the 1880s, chili stands became popular in San Antonio. Women known as "chili queens" served "bowls o' red" to customers, and the fame of chili con carne began to spread across the country. The 1893 World's Fair in Chicago featured the dish at the San Antonio Chili Stand.

When were beans added to chili?
Popularized at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, where Texas wowed tourists with its San Antonio Chili Stand, the dish spread quickly across the country. By the 1920s, cookbook recipes for chili called for beans; by the 1940s, tomatoes were a common ingredient.