The internet is full of fabulous facts about everything from current events to the history basket weaving and chili fun facts. Because of this, as we research for our daily content on food trucks, food carts and street food, we stumble upon some items of knowledge that we just did not know. We have decided when these fun facts pop up, that we would share them with our readers in our section titled “Did You Know?”

For today’s Did You Know we will look at chili fun facts.

Chili Fun Facts. During the 1880’s in San Antonio, Texas a Latino women nicknamed “Chili Queens” sold stew they called “chili” made with dried red chiles and beef from open-air stalls at the Military Plaza Mercado. They made their chili at home, loaded it onto colorful chili wagons, and transported the wagons and chili to the plaza. They build mesquite fires on the square to keep the chili warm and dished out chili to customers who sat on wooden stools to eat their fiery stew.

  • National Chili Day is the 4th Thursday in February.
  • Chili con carne, meaning “chili with meat” and commonly known in American English as simply “chili”, is a spicy stew containing chili peppers, meat (usually beef), and often tomatoes and beans.
  • A teaspoon of red chili powder meets the recommended daily allowance for Vitamin A. Vitamin A plays an important role in vision and bone growth.
  • “Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili.” – Alleged dying words of Kit Carson
  • Christopher Columbus discovered chili peppers when he discovered the Americas in 1493.
  • There are 140 varieties of chili peppers grown in Mexico alone.

Chili Fun Facts We Missed

Let us know if we may have missed any chili fun facts in the comment section. We love to add to these lists. If we can verify that the facts, we will give the reader credit in this article.

Reference: Wikipedia: Fun Facts about Chili.

Find all of the National Food Holidays to spice up your food truck menu specials throughout the year.