Chili and Travel

by Scott Coates

In early June I was at a joint American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand – Thai Canadian Chamber of Commerce luncheon and heard an announcement for a Chili Contest as part of the American Independence Day Celebrations to be held on July 3, 2010 in Bangkok. Having made chili a few times, loving a bowl – a rarity when you live in Bangkok – Smiling Albino (SA) Board Member Derek Van Pelt mentioned that a mutual friend had a great recipe for chili and

Some friends at the SA Chili Booth

we should enter the contest. Always up for something fun and the chance to eat chili we signed-up, enlisted the assistance of our friend Phil, a Canadian resident in Bangkok, and Friday, July 2 met at his house to create a winning chili.

Early in the evening someone in the kitchen asked, “What does chili have to do with travel?” and chuckled. Everyone had a laugh, we talked about how funny it would be to beat all the major restaurants that would be in the contest, and continued designing our batch of bliss.

At the event site on July 3 while setting up our booth the owner of one of the city’s leading Mexican restaurants was setting up next to us. After introductions he asked about our restaurant wondering where SA was. After explaining that SA is a travel company and sharing a bit about what we do, it was obvious he was a bit perplexed. Throughout the afternoon as guests sampled our chili it was amazing how many people were surprised that a travel company was in a chili contest. A quick look around at the other booths revealed we were in fact the only non-restaurant in the contest of more than a dozen entrants. One feisty eater who’d clearly had a few too many bowls smartly remarked, “What does a travel company know about chili!” A lot it turns out as he returned shortly thereafter to give us his bean (each taster had one bean to vote for their favorite chili).

Serving it up

With our entire seven liters of chili consumed, the judges announced the winners of the Great American Chili Cook-off and we were delighted to win People’s Choice for Best Chili, no doubt surprising some of the other competitors. So, how did we win? We followed the judging criteria to a tee, nailing all five: Aroma (chili should smell good), Consistency (chili should be a good balance of meat and gravy – the meat should be tender, but not mushy), Color (chili should look good and the color should range from reddish to reddish brown), Taste (chili should taste good) and Aftertaste (chili should leave a pleasant taste after swallowing). Since the competition we’ve talked a fair bit about what a travel company knows about making chili and it turns out there are lots of similarities.

When designing a great trip there must be good aroma all the way through. Asia is one of the world’s most colorful and fragrant regions to travel. From flower markets to food vendors concocting culinary delights and world-class spas emanating sweet-smelling oils, great aromas abound and exposing our guests to them is key.

While good surprises are something we love to sprinkle liberally throughout our adventures, consistency is important. While exploring the unknown it’s vital for guests to feel comfortable and live up to the high expectations we’ve set for ourselves. This especially holds true when visitors return for multiple trips in the many countries travel. It’s all about consistency.

Color: markets, hilltribe communities in traditional costume, glittering temples, tuk-tuks, lush rice paddies, silky-soft beaches, azure seas and neon lights combine to form the colorful backdrop of all our adventures.

Food is a highlight of any trip to Asia and SA has always worked hard to introduce visitors to as many tasty dishes during their trip as possible. From fine dining to street-side fare and everything in between, exposing guests to the taste of the region is a highlight of prime importance.

A journey of a lifetime consists of much more than just the travel days

Accepting the People's Choice Award

themselves. Creating experiences that visitors remember for the rest of their lives is the goal. The joy of recalling a local’s smile as you rode by on a bicycle or watched the sunset from your mountain villa while sipping sparkling wine is an element we consider sacred. Creating a travel aftertaste so to speak is as important as the adventure itself.

With our trophy ladle for People’s Choice for Best Chili mounted on our office wall and thinking about all those people who didn’t understand what chili and travel had in common, I now think it’s rather obvious. We’re ready to make a batch for you. Check-out our Adventures and let us know when you’re hungry.

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