What is it that makes the coveted Wendy's saucy bowl of chili so delicious?
There must be something special about it if people are craving chili from a burger joint.
Watch ahead for a deep dive into this tasty dish to find out why it's such a big deal.
One of Wendy's slogans is "Quality is our recipe."
Using fresh meat is the number one point that the company makes to prove it offers quality
products, and that of course includes the meat in their chili.
When it comes to meat, fresh is often better than frozen, particularly with ground beef.
Lean ground meat is approximately 60 percent water, so when you freeze a chunk of hamburger
beef, the water freezes as well, creating ice crystals that chop up the meat in a less-than-ideal
way.
It tears the muscle fibers, and when the meat thaws, it leaves unsightly reddish water on
the cutting board.
Furthermore, if meat is exposed to air in the freezer, it can lead to unwanted consequences
like freezer burn or dehydration.
It's not unsafe to eat, but it won't look or taste like it does when it's fresh.
The fact that the meat used in Wendy's chili never touches the inside of the freezer means
it's always going to taste that much better.
The meat that's used for Wendy's chili might never have been frozen, but it wasn't browned
specifically for a batch of chili.
It's actually leftover meat, but that's even more reason to love it.
Most meat-eaters would probably agree that browning beef in a pan doesn't taste as scrumptious
as when it's thrown on the barbecue to get that charred, caramelized piece of meat.
When meat is browned, something called the Maillard reaction takes place.
This is a process that involves a rearrangement of amino acids and sugars, revealing flavors,
smells, and tastes that humans crave.
Too much char, though, and that meat quickly turns us off.
When burnt, a chemical reaction occurs, making meat bitter.
As for what all this has to with Wendy's chili, it's the unused burgers that make their way
into the chili.
If a large crowd walks in and the cook starts cooking burgers, it's possible that they might
not all be ordered.
Rather than serve them later to customers or throw them away, the company takes those
char-grilled patties and puts them in the fridge for the next batch of chili.
Wendy's includes both red kidney beans and pink beans in its chili recipe.
Different beans have different tastes and textures, though those differences may be
subtle.
With two different types of beans, each bite brings something new, and after all, variety
is the spice of life.
Red kidney beans bring that hearty taste to the chili.
You'd be hard-pressed to find a chili recipe without these guys.
They're like the Kleenex brand of beans, as they are ubiquitous, relatively inexpensive,
and recognized everywhere.
They're also full of fiber and protein, but don't forget that they must be fully cooked
or else they're toxic.
Pink beans, meanwhile, bring a full, sweet-ish meaty flavor to chilis and stews.
They're often confused with pinto beans, but they are, in fact, their own separate type
of bean.
More beans means more flavor, so the different varieties of beans means that Wendy's chili
is extra delicious.
"COOL BEANS!"
"So, cool beans?"
"Yeah, cool beans."
Wendy's chili is pretty satisfying in terms of calories.
At 160 calories per small serving and 250 per large, this dish rates well when compared
to most food you can find at fast food joints.
And that includes those supposedly healthy salads that come with a generous dollop of
dressing.
According to Healthline, an average woman should consume about 2,000 calories a day,
while the average man should eat a bit more: 2,500 calories per day.
Wendy's chili barely puts a dent into that daily calorie count.
Compare that to Wendy's Southwest Avocado Chicken Salad, which comes in at 610 calories,
even more than a Wendy's single with cheese.
Knowing that you're making a healthier choice that probably won't destroy your diet plan
makes Wendy's chili taste even better than that greasy burger you might've been considering.
Science has proven that we need both smell and taste to properly appreciate the nuances
of flavor.
Because we're all made up a little differently, we each have a slightly different take on
what constitutes "good" and "bad" smells.
While we might not all think, as some people do, that rotting cabbage smells like home,
we can all agree that there are certain scents that take us back to a happy time.
And food often plays a big part in our scent memories.
For many of us, the smell of chili slowly simmering on the stove is a comforting smell,
making us feel all cozy and warm inside.
Maybe it's something your mom made when you were a kid, or maybe it was something you
discovered as an adult because it was pretty easy to make after taking care of all your
adult responsibilities.
Whenever chili entered your life, it's hard to dispute that it's a reliable go-to if the
day's treated you badly.
If you catch just one whiff of that Wendy's chili, you already know it's going to taste
delicious.
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