For some Americans a trip to the grocery store is a hassle marked by chaos in the aisles, too many choices, and pushy strangers.
Others, however, view it as a weekly ritual that directs a cascade of choices for the week ahead. Meal-prep plans, household restocks, and a bevy of new seasonal items await them as they enter their selected place of nutritional worship.
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Many of those people probably frequent Costco (COST) -), where they pay $60 or $120 a year for the pleasure and savings opportunity that shopping at the warehouse offers.
And for good reason. You can't really buy a kayak, a large flat-screen TV, and organic strawberries at many other places in the world.
But one of the factors that really differentiates Costco is its generous portions and attainable prices at its famous food court. A hot dog meal combo costs just $1.50 -- and has for roughly a decade.
The chain also offers a wide range of samples throughout the store, and its in-house Kirkland brand products offer quality at typically bargain prices.
You'd be hard-pressed, for example, to find a 7.2 pound-chocolate cake for less than $60 anywhere but Costco's bakery. Despite our differences in this country, I think we can probably all agree on that being a bargain.
Still, while most of Costco's in-house offerings remain crowd pleasers, every once and a while a new item comes out and ruffles some feathers.
Costco's seasonal item causes online firestorm
One such item is Costco's seasonal chili, which is typically released during the fall to keep customers warm during the, well, chillier months.
It's typically offered in a four-pound plastic tub and covered with shredded cheddar cheese.
But not everyone is convinced it's chili.
"Beef chili is back at Costco," CostcoHotFinds said in a video posted to TikTok. "This is a four pound container and it's my favorite and at $3.49 a pound this is a great deal for chili that's ready to heat and serve. This would be so good over a Costco hot dog but today I ate it with the Costco bakery's french bread."
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The Kirkland Signature Chili as it's officially known, contains the following key ingredients:
- Beef
- Cheese
- Onions
- Spices
- Kidney Beans
- Pinto Beans
It's the latter two ingredients that have people in a stir.
"There's no beans in chilli......I don't know what that is but it's not chilli...... still looks pretty good though," one TikToker wrote.
"Real chili DOESNT HAVE BEANS IN IT," another wrote.
“Chili master here folks, it’s official, this isn’t chili,” another said. “Costco needs to remove this so call Chili from it’s store now.”
"That’s not chili,” another wrote. “That’s bean soup.”
The beans vs. no beans debate seems to trace its origins back to Texas, where some parts of the state declare that beans should not be in a traditional chili recipe.
One expert, however, claims otherwise.
"BEANS GO IN CHILI unless it's specifically called 'Texas' chili'," Delish Associate Culinary Producer Justin Sullivan says.
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