Chili Cook-Off July 23rd

July 7, 2006

Chili cooks from around Oregon and the Pacific Northwest are invited to compete for the title of “Oregon’s Best Chili” at a chili cook-off to be held from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, July 23rd at the Columbia County Fair and Rodeo.

The chili cook-off is a fundraiser for Columbia River PUD’s GLOW Program, which provides emergency bill paying assistance to PUD customers. For a $5 donation, spectators can taste samples of each competitor's entry and then cast their vote for the best pot.

Event coordinator Steven Price expects at least 16 teams to participate in the event. Contestants will prepare their best pot of “Texas style” chili, which will be judged on aroma, consistency, red color, taste and aftertaste. The chili must be cooked on-site and can contain no fillers such as beans, macaroni, rice or hominy.

A panel of judges will rate the entries and select the winning pot. The People’s Choice Award winner will be decided based on the votes cast by event spectators.

The entry fee is $15 and two gallons of People’s Choice Chili. Anyone wishing to enter the competition should contact Steven Price at (503) 252-1897. Many first-time competitors place in the top three.

This event is the official Chili Appreciation Society International C.A.S.I. championship for the state of Oregon. The winner is eligible to compete for national honors at the Terlingua International Chili Championship, held in November at Rancho CASI de los Chisos in Terlingua, Texas.