So as the spice person, I have to know, what exactly is it about this Gebhardt's chili powder, that makes it so sought after? Can anyone list the ingredients on their container for me?

Cinnamon Girl--

"Chili pepper, natural flavor, spice, garlic powder, SiO2, Ethoxyquin (for color stability)."

There's a penetrating sharpness, a very realistic note, to the chili pepper. Some cumin, but not much. A very smooth flavor profile. Indeed, when one thinks of Tex-Mex, this is the Platonic Ideal of flavor.

Geo

Ah yes, we are very clever in the spice business, no one is going to duplicate that recipe based on those pretty wide open ingredients!

Hi,

I bought it to pass onto someone. I am not much of a chilihead myself.

Menudo seasoning:
"Chili pepper, salt, natural flavor, spice, onion powder, less than 2% of garlic powder, SiO2, Ethoxyquin (for color stability)."

Regards,

"natural flavor" most always means MSG and since it is listed as the third ingredient, there is a lot of it in the blend.
That is what probably makes it standout from what you can make yourself. I make all my own blends from mostly Penzey's source.-Dick

AFAIK, MSG has to be labeled as such, but "natural flavors" can include high glutamic acid compounds that essentially form the same thing.

Gebhardt’s Chili Powder Co., some history:

When Gebhardt first started selling chili powder, his market was limited by the fact that Americans outside Texas did not know how to cook with it. In 1908, the company published Mexican Cooking, one of the first Tex-Mex cookbooks. This cookbook introduced Americans to what would become one of the most popular cuisines in the country and promoted the use of Gebhardt’s chili powder above similar products. The book warns that “The success of Gebhardt’s Chili Powder has naturally brought forth a host of spurious chili powders or compounds of, which the public should be aware…” and goes on to say that Gebhardt’s is the only product that delivers “That Real Mexican Tang.”*

If you follow the link, you will learn this company's records are being digitized.

Regards,

Update, I knew I had seen Gebhardt Chili Powder somewhere in Wisconsin.
I searched the shelves at Woodman's but no luck.
Today I found it at El Rey in Milwaukee.
It's expensive! $4.69 for a 3oz container!
There was also a Menudo Spice Mix under the Gebhardt label for $3.29 for 3.25oz.
I purchased one of each.
I also purchased some of the little Tomatillo Milpa and Jalapeno Rojo for some chile in the next few days. The red jalapeno's are the only commercial ones that I can find that have heat.
El Rey is also the best SuperMercardo type store I have shopped at.-Dick

El Rey
916 S Cesar Chavez Dr
Milwaukee, Wi 53204

I found it today at Food4Less in Chicago Heights. I think it was $3.68 for a 3 oz bottle. Expiration date is May 6 2014.

Food 4 Less
1333 Western Ave
Chicago Heights, IL 60411
(708) 441-6262

After reading all the reports about Gebhardts on this Forum I found some at El Rey Supermercardo in Milwaukee recently, not cheap at over $3/3oz bottle.
Yesterday my wife was making a pot of chile using Passila de Oaxaca chile's and I decided to make a comparison batch with Gebhardt's.
I followed the recipe on the bottle, used our own ground sirloin(very lean), Spanish onions sauteed in olive oil, Penzey's minced garlic(just started using this product), Penzy's ground cumin, salt and fresh locally grown tomatoes(this has been an outstanding year for local tomatoes).
The Gehardt's was very bland and that's about the best I could say for it.
We source our Passila de Oaxaca from the Chile Guy and a new 2# bag had just arrived at about $18.95/# for pods. Now that is pricey but a lot less than other sources. The Passila's are very different than the typical chipotle, more subtle smoke and much better chile flavor. We use it for Cowboy Rib Eye steaks we grill at 2&1/2" to 3" thick, swordfish steaks for taco's and whatever and it is outstanding.
There wasn't any need for a blind tasting as the difference between the chile's was plainly evident.
Another much better source for chile flavor is Penzey's ground Ancho chile we have been using for decades now. Rich, full bodied, no heat, no other additives. I have ground Ancho chile, both mild and with heat from the Chile Guy and it's very similar to Penzy's.
-Dick
http://www.thechileguy.com/
http://www.penzeys.com/

For those still interested in Gebhardt chili power, this little jem showed up in my podcast feed recently; it's worth the 30 minutes of your time.

https://www.southernfoodways.org/gravy/the-chili-powder-cheat-a-tex-mex-story/

FYI,
Dave