A Canadian mother living in Australia discovered a crucial difference between a common supermarket ingredient sold in Australia compared to North America, all revolving around a dried spice pantry staple.
Since relocating Down Under, Emily Midori has tried cooking her family's favourite Mexican burrito bowl and chilli con carne using her North American recipes that call for up to four tablespoons of chilli powder. In Canada and the US, her go-to brands were McCormick's Dark Chili Powder or Simply Organic Chili Powder. In Australia, she experimented with Coles Ground Chilli and MasterFoods Ground Chilli.
To her horror, particularly for her child, the similarly-named Aussie seasoning made her food ultra spicy. Confused, Emily shared a video calling out to Aussies for advice. 'Okay Australians, respectfully, what the f***?!' she said. 'I cook with a lot of chilli powder normally,' she continued, showing bottles of the Australian-purchased spices, explaining they were simply too 'hot'.
The video on her @itsemilymidori Instagram account erupted with hundreds of replies. 'American chilli powder is a mix of cumin, paprika, garlic and onion powders,' one Aussie clarified. 'Australian chilli powder is pure red chilli.' Another added: 'US chilli powder is a spice mix to make a dish you call chilli. Here in Australia, chilli powder is literally powdered dried chilli peppers.'
An American expat confirmed it was 'a classic American mistake' that 'we all make when moving to Australia'. Both ground chilli powders Emily bought in Australia are pure ground chillies with nothing else added. Most people cook with only a light sprinkle, not heaped tablespoons.
Emily responded: 'You're 100 percent right. I've been making chilli for almost 20 years and had no idea that the chilli powder is a mix.' Other Aussie shoppers suggested using Mexican blend or taco seasoning as a substitute.
Many Aussies admitted they had made the same mistake when following American recipes. 'I was today years old when I found out chilli powder in America/Canada is not the same as in Australia!' one said. Another added: 'Once I made an American chilli recipe and it called for two tablespoons of chilli powder and two jalapenos... That was the day I learned American chilli powder is very different to ours.'
Some Aussies had assumed North Americans just enjoyed things much spicier. 'This whole time I thought Americans were full on into the hot chilli,' one laughed. Emily replied: 'This is all making sense... You've saved burrito bowl nights!'
