Contestants will submit 4-6 quarts of chili for competition. Chili must be personally prepared by the contestant and delivered in a crock pot or other stew/soup warming device. Chili may be accompanied by traditional sides (corn bread, crackers, chips, etc) and garnish (onions, chives, cheese, sour cream) or designated to be served with various house provided sides and garnishes that will be available. Contestants may provide additional information about sides and garnishes that they furnish. Service utensils will be provided.

The follwowing will be collected upon arrival:

• Name of chili (to be displayed) (ex : Southwest Fireball , Chili Chili Bang Bang, Mama's Homestyle).
• Serving instructions (to be used for judges service) (ex : serve over corn ships, 2 tblspns of pepperjack cheese, 1 dollop of sour cream, 1 tblspn chives).
• Main ingredients (to be displayed).
• Additional optional information about furnished sides and garnish.
• General Spicy Index (1 to 10) (to be displayed).
• Detailed ingredients (not to be displayed, for dietary questions only).

Submitted chili will be anonymized by contest officials. No information about the contestant will be displayed or published during the contest. Contest officials will privately ask each contestant to prepare a sample bowl and side/garnish presentation, which will be used as a model when serving judges to ensure that each entry is presented as faithfully as possible.

Contestants will select one or more categories for competition:

• Freestyle Chili (No restrictions on contents, other than must contain chili peppers or powder, integrated in a stew. All contestants will be automatically entered in this category).
• Chili Con Carne (must contain a meat protein like beef, pork, chicken, alligator).
• Vegetarian Chili (must NOT contain meat of any kind).
• People's Choice.

During the contest contestants may not divulge the name of their chili or anything that would compromise the spirit of anonymous and fair competition. At the end of the competition, winners in each category will be announced and trophies will be presented.

Scoring Criteria and Process

Contest officials will serve judges contest chili in a private area. Each chili will be presented (approximately 4 ounces) in a bowl according to the preparation model, and served according to instructions noted by the contestant. Chili name and main ingredients will also be displayed. Judges will also be served ice water with each round of chili. Judges need not finish the entire serving. Judges may request an additional 1oz serving of a chili previously sampled. Judges may adjust scores of previously sampled chili as needed in order to appropriately and correctly rate and rank chili entries. Judges may debate the merits of each chili with one another, but may not converse with anyone besides contest officials for the duration of the contest.

Each Judge will award points in the following captions:

• Taste and Flavor (10 pts) (x 2.5) Balanced blend of spices and protein where no single ingredient overpowers the others, and the flavor has rich depth.
• Aroma (10 pts)(x 1.5) How the chili smells. It should smell rich, savory, and inviting — not burnt, flat, or sour.
• Consistency (10 pts) (x 1.5) The texture and thickness. The ratio of protein and solids to liquid should be balanced — not watery, overly greasy, or thick like paste.
• Color (10 pts) (x 1.5) The visual appeal. A good chili features a rich, natural red or red-brown tone that looks appetizing.
• Aftertaste (10 pts) (x 1.5) The finish and heat build. The spice should leave a pleasant, lingering warmth rather than a harsh burn, bitterness, or metallic aftertaste.
• Sides & Garnish (10 pts) (x 1.5) Appropriate and pleasing synergy with presented sides and garnish.

*Note caption weightings. The result will be a score between 10 - 100.

Judged Category Winners

Category totals will be determined by averaging the judges numerical totals for each chili:

• Best Chili Con Carne
• Best Vegetarian Chili
• Best Freestyle Chili

Judges

Judges will be 2-4 Portland area afficeonados, restaurateurs, chefs, who are passionate about service and chili. Check back here closer to the contest for judge announcements and biographies.

People's Choice

People's Choice voting participation is open to anyone who does not have dietary restrictions. People's Choice voting participants will sample each chili in the People's Choice Category in a 1 ounce serving cup. Voters will be given three beans and will vote by placing a bean in a dish next to each chili they would like to endorse. Voters may only place 1 bean for any given chili, and may not place extra beans. The chili with the most beans placed will be the winner. Note - voting will close once 1oz portions are no longer available for any given chili, or after 1 hour. Contest officials will announce a 15min warning prior to 1 hour.

Director's Award

The Contest Director will sample all chili entered in the contest and select one to receive this award.

Sweepstakes

Sweepstakes total will be determined by averaging the judges numerical totals and adding the number of People's Choice beans placed for a given chili at 1 point per bean. The chili with the highest overall score will be the "Best in Show Sweepstakes" winner.