You’ve Been Eating Chili Wrong This Whole Time [Pictures]

Last night I learned something that shook me to my very core. I learned I've been eating chili wrong. All this time I've been doing it wrong? Yep. At the Boys and Girls Club of Rochester Chili Challenge, I learned the right way, and now, I'm passing it on.

Here's the deal, if you're a food judge and Johnny Mango is one of the judges, you're in a special place. This man knows a thing or two about food and he is not stingy about sharing his passion...and food.

Take the Chili Challenge. Johnny brought a tray of extras. Apricots, dried cherries, nuts, prosciutto, and feta. Oh, and a fruity kind of balsamic vinegar.

Before last night, I never would never have paired chili with any of those things, but now, I'll want it handy anytime chili's on the menu. They did things to my mouth that made the experience amazing.

The prosciutto and feta helped cool off your mouth, and clear you for the next chili-landing.

If you have a really spicy chili (and you can only taste the heat), 1/2 a teaspoon of the BV cools your mouth and, the next time you taste the chili, you'll taste the flavors below the heat,. For me, this meant I could taste cumin in one, and another chocolate.

The dried cherries won't get rid of the heat, but it did bring out way more flavor in each chili. Way more. Like, seriously, the chili started treating my mouth like a playground!

And the nuts? Well, for me, that was the most amazing one. My favorite chili was so sooo good. But eat a nut, try it again, and BAM! Citrus. SO much lime came out, high-fived me, and said 'Howdy-do?".

So, next time you have chili, try it out. It will SO blow your mind. Oh, and include an Ice Cream Chili, too. ((snicker)) that was such a nice surprise!