interesting chili cook off rule

I’ve sometimes heard that chili isn’t “real” chili unless it’s made in Texas. As I was browsing through the rules for a sanctioned Texas chili cook off competition, rule #5 clearly states:

5. PYROTECHNICS – No contestant may discharge firearms or use any pyrotechnics or explosives at a chili cookoff. Contestants discharging firearms and/or using explosives or other pyrotechnics will be disqualified from the chili cookoff.

I guess Texans have a much different way of cooking chili than I do in Sconnie.

Life is a little different then we know it down there.

My only rule for real chili is no beans

at the contests I’ve been involved in they have a shoot ‘n hollar contest. No firearms involved, just a shot of something strong then scream your lungs out. All this was done to pass time while the judges were getting the scores tabulated.