Carl Miller Park to host Idaho State Chili Championship

After 25 years of being located in northern Idaho, the Idaho State Chili Championship has found a new location here in Mountain Home at Carl Miller Park on July 26.

The cookoff is being organized by the newly formed non-profit Mountain Home Chili Society, benefiting local charities.

The event offers four separate categories, any or all of which individuals can participate in. They include three sanctioned categories qualifying for the International Chili Society's World Championship Chili Cookoff this coming October. The categories are: red chili, chili verde (green), and salsa. A fourth category is People's Choice Chili. People's Choice is a chili made to a person's own liking containing a filler such as beans, pasta, rice, etc.

Charlie Ward will be the Chief Judge with Barbara Ward as the Chief Scorekeeper. Both are lifetime members of the International Chili Society (ICS). Between them they have competed in the ICS's World Championship 32 times. They both have achieved the status of Grand Master (cooking in the ICS World Championship a minimum of 11 times). Barbara is the current ICS World Salsa Champion.

For additional information call the Wards at (208) 587-4924 or log onto the International Chili Society's website at chilicookoff.com. Click on Chili Cookoffs; State - ID - Find; Click on Idaho State.

The Mountain Home Chili Society (MHCS) is looking for cooks to enter the Idaho State Chili Championship Cookoff.