Chili was chosen for the contest this year and last because it’s a quintessential American food, Feldman said.
“Chili can also have a variety of interpretations,” he said.
The past few weeks, the high school students had cooked batches of chili in class, testing recipes and adding novel ingredients to make the stews their own.
On Friday, students transported the finished products to the college, re-heated the food with attention to safe handling practices, and added finishing touches like herbs and spices.
Each group of high school students then manned themed booths they had devised and ladled out samples of their chili to bands of hungry Glendale college students and staff.
A team of seven judges — including Burbank Mayor Marsha Ramos and Glendale City Councilman Dave Weaver — tasted each of the schools’ creations, and evaluated the teams on the overall quality of the chili, the hospitality of the service, and the “showmanship” of the students’ themed booths.
The team from Burbank High School took the grand prize for best chili, and the hospitality award.
Their stew was a high-fiber, low-fat variation that used turkey meat, bacon, pinto beans, lemon juice and jalapeños.
“It’s flavorful, it’s thick,” said Ramona Nahapetian, 17, about the Burbank High chili.
The students from Burbank had tested out seven variations of chili, and had added ingredients like sugar and Tabasco sauce, before settling on the recipe they used for the competition, they said.
Glendale High’s chili was named first runner-up. It contained three kinds of bell peppers, beef and chili powder.
“That’s the kick,” Tadeh Saghari, 18, said about the spice.
The masses preferred the chili created by La Cañada High School, which was given the “People’s Choice” award for receiving the highest number of votes from passersby who tried the stews.
The La Canada students ground and roasted their own spices, and added three kinds of meat to their concoction.
Daily High School won the showmanship award for a booth that was aligned with their health-conscious, vegetarian chili.
Colorful lentils and beans were arranged in decorative patterns on the table, and exercise equipment was hung behind the booth.
Mark Forde, an executive chef with the food services company Compass Group and one of the judges for the event, said he was impressed with the overall quality of the dishes.
“If I had a restaurant that served chili, I would put at least three of these on the menu,” he said.
ANGELA HOKANSON covers education. She may be reached at (818) 637-3238 or by e-mail at angelahokanson@latimes.com.
