The One Style Of Chili 52% Of People Can Agree On - Daily Meal Survey

The seasons are changing, which means it's high time to reach for that perpetually mystifying observation used in approximately three million small-talk exchanges each year: "I can't believe it's winter already! Nietzsche's theory of eternal recurrence strikes again!" With rain, sleet, and snow on the horizon in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, home cooks are donning their coziest knitwear and making the switch from summer-cum-fall dishes to fall-cum-winter soups, stews, and bakes. As Everyday Health notes, we're naturally hungrier during the coldest months.

Anything that simmers for hours on the stove is fair game, so long as it fills the kitchen with the magical bouquet that occurs when a bunch of aromatics all meld together in a pot. In its endless variations, chili is a star player in the winter lineup. We know our readers have opinions about things (like Thanksgiving tables), so we asked over 600 of you to tell us which kind of chili you prefer. Your answers ran the gamut, but more than half of you came to a consensus.

In a Daily Meal exclusive survey that comprised 622 respondents, 324 of them (a little over 52%) praised chili con carne as the best of the bunch. Popular in Texas and other parts of the Southwest, this style of chili typically contains chile peppers, some type of meat, tomatoes, and pinto or kidney beans, plus aromatics like garlic, onions, cumin, and chili powder. Depending on who's serving up the bowls, chili con carne might come topped with sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese, tortilla chips, and lime wedges. 

The other half of the respondents spread their answers across the chili board. A respectable 112 people (or 18%) stood by vegetarian chili, putting the meat-free variation in second place. Next up, Cincinnati-style chili came in third with 74 (11.9%) votes. Unlike chili con carne and other types of stew-like chili, Mediterranean-spiced Cincinnati chili has a thinner consistency and is often used as a topping for dishes like spaghetti and hot dogs, per WVXU. 

Chili verde, a stew made with green chiles that originated in northern Mexico, per Julee Ho Media, came in fourth place with 64 (10.29%) votes. Last but not least, 48 respondents pledged their allegiance to Oklahoma-style chili, which, like its Ohio-bred counterpart, is more of a sauce than a meal unto itself. Taking cues from Midwestern cooking, this one reduces into a bright-red sauce and may or may not contain beans, says Tulsa World.