The Culinary Students of Northern Michigan University are throwing their annual chili challenge on Tuesday, March 27.
Last year’s chili challenge was held in memory of a student in the hospitality management program who died in a car accident. This year, members of the program plan on doing the same by recognizing all the students and faculty who are no longer with them.
Two students in particular who passed away, Becky Blackburn and Ben Manson, will be recognized at the event with a memorial that will be set up at the chili challenge.
CSNMU president Becky Beaverson is hopeful that this year’s chili challenge will have an even greater turnout than past years. Two students from the culinary program were able to promote the event on The Doug Garrison Show, a half-hour long weekly program about people of the U.P.
“Last year we had about 20 chili entries and somewhere between 250 and 300 people walked through and tasted the chili,” Beaverson said. “This year we have between 15 and 20 chili entries and we are expecting more admissions.”
This year, the rules are a little different and require participants to make five gallons of chili instead of four. Participants are divided into either professional or amateur categories. Each competitor will take samples of their chili into the judges room where they explain their chili to the judges.
Meanwhile, those who attend will help decide the winners by voting for their favorite chili in the different categories after sampling them. These categories include Best Use of Heat, Most Original Chili, People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice.
Students can volunteer at the event and put their hours toward Superior Edge.
“It’s a very exciting event, and we have lots of other food to try besides chili,” Beaverson said.
Other types of food that will be offered are cupcakes made by Joe’s Cakes of the Landmark Inn, cornbread and lemonade.
The winning chili recipes are known to be a little out of the ordinary, which is what the judges want to see.
“Last year, one recipe included cilantro sauce and a creme fraiche sauce,” Beaverson said. “It was delicious. They look more for who brings the most original recipes to the challenge.”
The Annual Hospitality Management Memorial Chili Challenge takes place on Tuesday, March 27 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. in the Jacobetti Center Commons Area. It costs $5 for students with identification and $7 for the general public.
