Part 7/8:
As chili’s popularity surged, particularly after events like the Colombian Exposition in 1893, it began to evolve beyond its traditional recipes. Variations arose, as some cooks experimented with ingredients like tomatoes and beans, diverging from the classic Texas style. The introduction of Gebhardt’s chili powder served to facilitate this evolution, allowing an explosion of new chili recipes and cooking methods, further fueling the cultural significance of chili in American culinary history.