Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> The flavor found in canned chili and in canned "chili beans" eludes me.
>
> When I make my own chili recipe it's flavored with onion, garlic, chili
> powder, cumin, coriander, Mexican oregano and a bay leaf. It's a good basic
> chili and we like it.
>
> However, the canned products have a very different flavor and almost all
> brands taste quite similar. The list of ingredients on the cans, of course,
> just say "and spices".
>
> Anyone have an idea what makes up this flavor?
>
Coming late to this thread and don't feel like reading all the other
responses. In my experience the biggest difference between canned
chilis and homemade is that the canned versions contain a significant
amount of sugar or other sweetening, while few home recipes do. Next
to salt, sugar is the most common "secret" ingredient in prepared
foods. -aem