In the 10 years that he’s helped to organize a Chili and Boilo Cook Off at Tamaqua’s East End Fire Company, you can bet that Tom McCarroll has seen quite a few different recipes.

Not only do folks come with their traditional boilo drinks flavored of honey and citrus, they’ve presented variations spiked with black licorice and peach flavors. Chili has taken on a flavor of its own, too, with entries featuring everything from beef to venison.

McCarroll is curious to see what will be entered at this year’s event, which is co-sponsored by the American Hose Company, and benefits the Carbon/Tamaqua American Cancer Society.

It gets underway March 1 at the East End’s 533 E. Broad St. headquarters.

“Awards are given for traditional chili made with beef and nontraditional made with any other type of meat,” said McCarroll, who organizes the event with Art Connely of the American Hose Company.

Nontraditional offerings have included chicken, sausage — and even deer and bear meat.

Trophies and plaques are also given for traditional and nontraditional — or flavored — boilo.

For those who are unfamiliar, boilo is a traditional drink of the Coal Region, usually served warm. Its roots are in Poland and Lithuania, and while recipes vary, the drink is typically made with whiskey (or moonshine), citrus fruits, honey, cinnamon and other spices.

“Flavored boilo that has been entered are peach, blueberry, root beer, apple pie and caramel apple,” McCarroll noted.

And while boilo might be an “anthracite thing,” McCarroll said the event brings folks from all over.

“We have had people from Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Maryland and most of the counties around this area,” he said. “That is the most amazing thing — to meet all the different types of people, many who have heard of boilo but never had it.”

Folks can enter the contest — or simply attend to taste the entries.

McCarroll said the contest started with a conversation a decade ago at the East End Fire Company.

“We were discussing who made the best boilo and we decided that it would be a good fundraiser for the American Cancer Society,” he said.

Registration for the event begins at 11 a.m., and tasting follows from 1-5 p.m.

To preregister, or for more information, text McCarroll at 570-778-4241.

As an added ACS fundraiser, the fire companies are “selling” paper chili pots at a number of area clubs and bars. For a donation, people can sign the paper pot, which will be displayed at the establishment.