They gather in the West Texas desert, Terlingua, a ghost town. Well that is until the first week in November, when the population swells with fanatics. What kind of fanatics you may ask? Well the kind that are particular about their Bowl of Red! For the uninitiated that’s Chili, Texas style Chili. This year marks the 56th annual “Original Terlingua International Chili Cook-off Championship”. It’s also the fourth year for me and third for Meg, attending.
Folks this is the Super Bowl of Texas style Chili championships. These purveyors of pungently potent palate numbing pots of perfection are extremely serious about their capsaicin creations. They compete all year to earn enough points to qualify.
Over 25 years ago the legacies of the originators decided to turn it into a party with a purpose. They chose to focus on ALS and raise funds to help those affected by it.
I can’t say enough about the people that organize and attend this amazing event. Pure love of fellow human beings; genuine, big hearts and beautiful souls. Meg and I are blessed to be here with our Terlingua family once again!
If you are looking for a reason to visit the Texas Big Bend area, you can’t get better than this.
Check out the following link for the history of the cook-off:
TJO