Chili Powder Mix (also called Chili Mix and not to be confused with the similar-sounding Chile Powder which is an ingredient in Chili Powder and is simply dried and pulverized hot chile peppers) is a spice mix consisting of various ratios of dried ground chile peppers, cumin, garlic, and oregano. The ground chile peppers may be exclusively hot ones such as Cayenne or sometimes mild ones like Ancho, but are usually a mixture of differemt types to give the desired balance between heat and flavor. As the name suggests, Chili Powder Mix is used to spice chili and give the dish its beloved and infamous kick.

Many people make their own Chili Powder Mix, and many versions are available commercially, but the real fun is creating your own mixture to suit your taste. Many family Chili Powder Mix recipes are highly coveted and handed down generation to generation. Like the saying goes, "Anyone can make a bowl of Chili, but few can make a really great bowl of Chili!" In addition to the main ingredients above, small amounts of other powdered spices may be added including allspice, anise, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, mace, nutmeg, turmeric and black pepper.

The two men generally credited with marketing the first commercial chili powder blends were William Gebhardt and D.C. Pendry. Pendry ran a Mexican grocery supply company in Ft. Worth, Texas. He began manufacturing and marketing his blend of chili powder in about 1890, encouraging its use by people who were unfamiliar with it by supplying recipes to restaurants in the area. William Gebhardt was a German immigrant to New Braunfels, Texas. He served chili in his café, flavored with his own blend of chili powder. He starting selling the blend in about 1894 under the brand name Gebhardt’s Eagle Brand Chili Powder.

Chili Powder Mix also makes a great rub for steak, fish and chicken before broiling, baking, or grilling, and can also be used in making a spicy hamburger, by including a tablespoon of the powder in the raw meat and kneading it into the meat before forming the hamburger patties.

Above all else, freshness and origin of the ingredients is the key to success here. Here's a great Chili Powder Mix recipe created by Chef John Folse:

° 10 tablespoons Anaheim or Guajillo chile powder
° 3 tablespoons ground Cumin
° 3 tablespoons ground dried Oregano
° 3 tablespoons Garlic powder
° 2 tablespoons Cayenne chile powder
° 2 tablespoons Ancho chile powder
° 2 tablespoons salt
°
° Prep time: 5 minutes
° Makes 1 1/2 cups of Chili Powder Mix

Is Chili Powder Mix healthy for you? You betcha. Here's the vitamin breakdown for just one tablespoon of Chili Powder Mix:
http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/spices-and-herbs/179/2