Mom's secret chili ingredient goes viral and leaves TikTokers stunned
The video was posted by the Hnieno Fam, a family-oriented TikTok account centered on a London mother and a father of two.
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Jade Hnieno, the mom of the family, shared the video last month, revealing the mysterious addition: a square of dark chocolate added directly to the pot.
'Secret ingredient to make the best chili,' she captioned the video.
The video, which has been viewed over 6.4 million times, was met with both intrigue and disgust.
'Absolutely not,' one person wrote.
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'No,' another said bluntly.
Others defended the little-known ingredient, sharing their own unusual tips for incorporating dark chocolate.
5 A mother's chili secret has viral on TikTok, sparking debate.
M.studio – stock.adobe.com
5 Jade Hnieno shared the video last month, showing a square of dark chocolate that she added to the pot.
Tiktok / @TheHnienoFam
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'Although chili and mole are different in terms of ingredients and cultural origin, both are usually added with dark chocolate to enhance their flavor experience.'
'I worked for a small-town chocolate brand for a while and THIS was our key ingredient for a chili cook-off,' one person said.
'It's so good.'
'Also works in a bolognese sauce,' a second person wrote.
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5 'I worked for a small-town chocolate brand for a while and THIS was our key ingredient for a chili cook-off,' one person wrote.
Joshua Resnick – stock.adobe.com
'I'm Mexican and yes, it is very normal to use dark chocolate in chili,' another said. 'We literally use it to make mole.'
A different TikToker revealed, 'I like to cook some cocoa powder with the tomato paste in the beginning and deglaze with a Coke.'
The mother behind the account, Jade Hnieno, told Fox News Digital her family really enjoyed the chili.
'We had it with baked potato and sour cream, our favorite way to have chili,' she said.
5 'I'm Mexican and yes, it is very normal to use dark chocolate in chili,' another person commented.
Phil Cardamone – stock.adobe.com
'I think the chocolate enhances the flavor by adding depth and richness to the dish, balancing out the acidity from the tomatoes and peppers.'
Science appears to support her reasoning. Fox News Digital spoke with food scientist Bryan Quoc Le, Ph.D., about how chocolate can enrich the dish.
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Le, who is based in California and works for Mendocino Food Consulting, said the fat compounds in dark chocolate help soften the spicy punch of capsaicin.
'Due to its higher cocoa solids, flavonols and fat content compared to other grades, unsweetened, high-percentage dark chocolates are recommended.'
'On the other hand, the bitterness of chocolates due to compounds like flavonols, phenolics and other non-polyphenols effectively balances the bright sourness of tomatoes due to citric and malic acids, making the umami taste more prominent,' he said.
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'Although chili and mole are different in terms of ingredients and cultural origin, both are usually added with dark chocolate to enhance their flavor experience.'
5 'I think the chocolate enhances the flavor by adding depth and richness to the dish, balancing out the acidity from the tomatoes and peppers,' Hnieno said.
Tiktok / @TheHnienoFam
The cuisine expert also noted that mixing chocolate and chili peppers dates back to the Mayan and Aztec empires.
'One of the earliest evidence of mixing chocolate and chili peppers dates back to the 15th century [when] Olmec, Maya and Aztec consumed hot chocolate with chili peppers due to [their] medicinal purposes and ritual traditions,' he said.
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But if you have a spare white or milk chocolate bar in your pantry, the food scientist recommends keeping it out of your chili.
'Due to its higher cocoa solids, flavonols and fat content compared to other grades, unsweetened, high-percentage dark chocolates are recommended,' Le advised.
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Buzz Feed
23 minutes ago
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A heated ice cream scoop to melt through frozen-solid pints like they're room-temp butter. It'll warm up to 158 degrees so you can get a scoop of your Ben & Jerry's without bending a spoon or breaking a sweat. It'll charge via USB, work cordless, and stay waterproof (obviously). Promising review: "This heated ice cream scoop is awesome! It warms up quickly to the perfect temp and glides through ice cream. The LED display is a nice touch, and it's super easy to use. Rechargeable, waterproof, and well-made. Definitely worth it if you're tired of bent spoons!" —amysGet it from Amazon for $24.59+ (available in five colors; be sure to clip the 18% off coupon when applicable). A minimalist fruit bowl that'll double as a secret colander. Because it's on a pedestal, moisture will automatically slide down out of the bowl, so fruits and veggies will dry thoroughly. A strip of LED Lights to add some extra lighting to your kitchen that can be voice-controlled via Alexa and Google Home. 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The organizer is super easy to assemble, and it's completely versatile. Hang it over the cabinet door or attach it to the wall/cabinet door, which means it's great for renters and owners." —KerryGet it from Amazon for $17.97. A jar of Humble Suds' all-natural scour cleaning paste for taking on tough cleaning jobs like baked-on grime in the oven to removing difficult stains on your kitchen's grout. Thanks to a combination of castile soap and essential oils like sweet orange and lemongrass, not only does this do the job of removing grime, but it smells amazing, too! Humble Suds is a small cleaning brand run by two moms in Colorado. All of their products are made from humble yet powerful plant and mineral-derived ingredients and scented with pure essential oils. Promising review: "I just cleaned my boyfriend's oven that hasn't been cleaned in five years 😲 with this magical stuff, and I was amazed. This works like a dream. 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Not only do they look great and make pantries so organized, but the airtight seal really does prolong the life of dried goods like pastas, flour, and chips. A set of magnetic glass spice jars if you have a ton of spices but nowhere to store them. Not only will this product fix that problem, but it looks cool, too! Promising review: "I am in love with my magnetic spice jars! I recently moved to a small apartment and don't have the counter or wall space to store spices or a spice rack, so magnetic jars it was! I love how these have a decorative feel while providing a secure way to store the spices. Unlike other magnetic spice jars, I feel that these add an extra flair to displaying your assorted spices." — a 12-pack of small jars from Amazon for $70+ (also available in 24 small jars, 12 large jars, and 24 large jars). An easy-to-use blender that can chop, mix, blend, whip, grind, and more. And because of its tiny size, it's the perfect fit for single servings like a smoothie or cup of salsa. Promising review: "I work in a vegan restaurant and use these once in a while for small amounts of dressings. So when I was in the market for a personal blender for smoothies and dressings/sauces for two, I knew I wanted this ... and boy, does it deliver! I love prepping the smoothies the night before in the containers. It's the perfect size for a small apartment, and it easily stores in the cabinet if you need to clear off the countertop." —BernadetteGet it from Amazon for $39.29+ (available in black or silver). A practical cereal dispenser for your countertop or in your pantry if you're really into cereal but not necessarily the various boxes it comes in. Now you'll have the perfect bowl ready to go with the twist of a knob. A spice rack drawer organizer in a 10-foot roll that you can cut to size if you have a lot of drawers and spices but not cabinets. The roll provides enough length to organize 30+ full-size spice bottles. YouCopia is a woman-owned small business that specializes in home storage review: "This is one of my favorite things I've ever purchased from Amazon! The fact that they are so customizable allows you to cut them for any drawer size! I think this will be my go-to gift for all of my friends who love cooking as much as I do! Freeing up cabinet space and having something that can easily be rinsed off in the sink makes this a for-sure buy!" —momononoGet a 10-ft roll from Amazon for $16.99 (available in gray or sandstone). A garlic chopper to take on the time-consuming task of chopping or mincing garlic. You put up to five regular-size cloves in it and then use your hand to roll this thing on any smooth surface, and it chops it all up in a matter of seconds. If you want to mince it, you keep rolling for maybe 10 more seconds. It's seriously the best! Promising review: "Love! Love! Love the GarlicZoom! Mincing garlic has never been easier or more fun. It makes mince work out of garlic, onion, chilies, and herbs. I'm not sure what I love most about this little gadget. Not smelling stinky garlic fingers all night? No burning fingers or eyes from chopping a super hot chile? Or mincing fresh herbs in a blink of an eye. I have a problem wrist from an injury and an arm and hand that suffers from nerve damage. I can still manage to zoom this. When people ask if they can help in the kitchen, this is the chore that I give them, and everyone loves it. They think it's the neatest little thing." —Kennedy CollinsGet it from Amazon for $19.95. An ice cube tray with a lid to make over 200 tiny cubes without needing a bulky and expensive ice machine. Traditional ice cube trays only make 12 cubes, and because there's no lid, they can get gross and absorb the smells of other foodstuffs in your freezer. With this one, you plop the cubes into the bin when they're frozen, and use the lil' scoop to get ice whenever you need it. Promising review: "This was a really pleasing purchase, I first saw it on TikTok. Product was received as described and pictured. The ice cubes are small and cute. The bin can hold about four trays, a lil over 200 ice cubes — that's with the scoop inside as well. The entire product doesn't take up much freezer space… I almost forgot it was there. Overall good purchase." —Gee inghamGet it from Amazon for $13.97+ (available in three colors). A drip catcher for soaking up water splashes and puddles that form around your kitchen faucet. Make sure you never have pools of still water (a breeding ground for bacteria!) around your faucet again. Hustle & Sew is a woman-owned small business based in Saint Helens, Oregon making fabric goods for the review: "LOVE these splash catchers! They save me from having to chase the puddles that form around the base of our faucet before they start creeping over the counter. So reasonably priced, made well with neatly finished edges, and packaged with gift-ready care." —AlinaGet it from Hustle & Sew on Etsy for $13.50+ (available in four sizes and five colors). A set of fruit and vegetable containers for folks who love efficiency and a well-organized fridge. The containers are stored within their own colander, so you can drain your produce and then nestle them right in. There's an adjustable divider in each, so you can store multiple types of produce in one container. Each one has vents that can be adjusted for fruits (vent stays open) and veggies (vent stays closed). Oh, and they're airtight, which will prolong the life of whatever you're storing. Check out this TikTok by Selina to see them in use. Promising review: "I love this set. I've been trying to eat breakfast more and saw them all over TikTok! These make it so much easier to clean the produce and keep it crisp! Will be getting another set!" —Jane DoeGet it from Amazon for $27.99+ (available in six colors). A drink dispenser to keep your favorite drinks organized. As you pull a can or bottle out of the dispenser, it'll push all of the drinks behind it forward. Reviewers rave that it holds so many bottles while also freeing up a ton of fridge space. Check out Rachel Meaders' review on review: "This is a true 'TikTok made me buy it!' I saw this and thought I'd love to have it, but the price is pretty steep. I splurged, and I'm so glad I did. It has revolutionized the cleanliness and ease of our drink supply!!!! We always know where we are with stock, and it looks so clean. The best part is that it can be customized to fit almost any fridge. We could have even just had four rows on one shelf and four rows on another if we wanted to — the rows are so easy to separate and adjust! Do yourself a favor and bite the bullet on the purchase. You'll be so glad you did." —Jacqueline FoleyGet it from Amazon for $57.39+ (be sure to clip the 18% off coupon). A peel-and-stick yogurt holder that can go on the walls or ceiling of your refrigerator, which is otherwise space that would go unused. Promising review: "I had seen them on TikTok and immediately bought them because my yogurts always tip out of my refrigerator and splat all over the floor! They have been so great, now my yogurts stay and don't fall out." —Amazon CustomerGet it from Amazon for $14.99+ (available in packs of one or two). An under-cabinet lid opener so you never struggle to open a jar again. And because it mounts to the underside of your cabinet, it'll be out of sight and out of mind when you don't need it. And a wine rack that stacks one bottle on top of another. Because it goes up and not horizontal, you'll be utilizing the normally unused vertical space in your fridge, therefore freeing up more shelf space. Promising review: "Fantastic product. Sturdy and stacks very well. Holds the wine with no worries of anything falling apart or out of the rack itself. Looks beautiful, giving your fridge a great look of organization." —Amazon CustomerGet it from Amazon for $28.99. You looking around your kitchen now that it's all tricked out with the best gear out there: Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Business Insider
an hour ago
- Business Insider
Inside the 12 hours it took for an awkward moment at a Coldplay concert to go viral
The Coldplay kiss cam video shows how fast someone's 15 seconds of fame can ricochet around the world. The clip caught a tech CEO and his head of HR embracing and led to the chief's resignation Here's a play-by-play of how the scandal unfolded — and why it caught so much attention. By now, we've all seen the Coldplay kiss cam fiasco. What happened in the hours and days afterward is a case study in how fast someone's 15 seconds of fame (or infamy) can truly ricochet around the world. A tech CEO and his HR head were caught embracing on the jumbotron at Gillette Stadium. They looked horrified and quickly untangled, with the woman turning away and the man dodging the camera. Front man Chris Martin suggested they could be having an affair. The fleeting moment — a fraction of a nightly segment during which Martin addresses various members of the audience — stuck with some concertgoers. In the early morning hours following the show, at least a few took to the internet to post about it. A Reddit user who said they attended the show asked if anyone else was wondering about the couple. One TikTok user said Martin had caught "a couple having an affair" at the show, and another said that they were "constantly refreshing the TikTok search in hopes that someone recorded the couple caught red-handed at the Coldplay concert tonight." They were in luck. Grace Springer, who had fewer than 15,000 TikTok followers at the time, had been recording in the hopes of landing on the jumbotron herself and capturing the moment. Shortly before 1 a.m. ET on Thursday, she posted a 15-second clip on TikTok captioned "trouble in paradise??" "In the moment when I filmed it, I didn't think much of it," Springer, who didn't respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, said during an interview on the British daytime program "This Morning." "But it wasn't until after the concert, where I was debriefing the moment with my friends, and I said, 'Let's review the footage, let's see if it really looks that bad.' And I think it does." Then the algorithm did its thing, pushing the video onto For You pages the world over. The TikTok spread like wildfire. It didn't take long for internet sleuths to identify the pair as Andy Byron, the then-CEO of tech upstart Astronomer, and Kristin Cabot, Astronomer's head of HR. Their names came up in the comments of Springer's TikTok video, though it was unclear who was the first to recognize them because the platform doesn't display the timestamp of comments. By 3 a.m., two hours after Springer posted the video, people were starting to look them up by name, according to data from Google Trends, which monitors search volume. The story had changed from an awkward interaction to a corporate scandal. Soon, people all over the world — from Ireland to Singapore — would know their names. "It's really sort of as we're waking up into the day on the 17th, where we see it start to spread," Molly Dwyer, the head of insights for social media monitoring company Peak Metrics, told Business Insider. The amateur internet sleuths then deployed their talents to find the pair's social profiles and those of Byron's wife. Commenters began bombarding Byron and Cabot's profiles, as well as those of Astronomer, which had turned off the ability to comment on posts across channels by Thursday afternoon Meme accounts had a heyday. "That's sort of the bread and butter of clickbait content — laughing at people's poor decisions — and the fact that then it plays into an anti-corporate element just further fanned the flames," Dwyer said. He noted that there has been an uptick in interest in content that is opposed to CEOs. "It was sort of a perfect storm of things that are really viral on social media right now, all coming together." Storyful, a social-media research company, used ticket stubs and raw footage from Springer to corroborate she was at the concert, according to John Hall, an editor for the site. One by one, mainstream news organizations around the world started covering the story. The online chatter kicked into high gear later on Thursday. Peak Metrics tracked 30,000 X posts in the 11 a.m. hour. Byron's name had been Googled more than 2 million times by that afternoon, and more than $65,000 was traded on Polymarket about his chances of remaining as CEO and predictions about his marital status. Brands like Netflix and Nando's jumped in, posting reactions to the clip or commenting on Springer's videos on social media. Think pieces about the surveillance state, sachenfreude, corporate America, and Coldplay proliferated. The saga shows how quickly a single moment can take on a life of its own in the social media age — a lesson others have learned before. While it seemed everyone had something to say, the pair at the center of it all stayed silent. (A fake apology from Byron that quoted the Coldplay song "Fix You" spread on Thursday afternoon before the company said it wasn't real.) Astronomer, a then little-known data startup, broke the silence on Friday with a statement that said the board was investigating the matter. Later that day, Byron was placed on leave. By Saturday, he'd resigned, and one of the company's cofounders, Pete DeJoy, had taken his place. The company found a silver lining in the scandal. "The events of the past few days have received a level of media attention that few companies—let alone startups in our small corner of the data and AI world—ever encounter," DeJoy wrote in a LinkedIn post on Monday. "The spotlight has been unusual and surreal for our team and, while I would never have wished for it to happen like this, Astronomer is now a household name." As with any viral moment, the attention was fleeting — and one that must've caught Coldplay off guard, too. "We'd like to say hello to some of you in the crowd," Martin said on Saturday, when the band took the stage for the first time since Wednesday's concert. Then a warning: "We're going to use our cameras and put some of you on the big screen. If you haven't done your makeup, do your makeup now."
