“Do you kiss your chili with that mouth, Bradley?” was the response to Brad Stevens’s last trash-talk jab.

The blow, dealt by art history senior Andy Couch, his colleague at the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art, was only one of the many fighting words that were exchanged as the two began preparing for Wednesday’s fourth annual Arts Alliance’s Chili Bowl cook-off.

“My personal favorite was ‘Eat my beans, Bradley,’” Couch said. “I began calling him ‘widdle Bradley.’”

Stevens, last year’s winner of the cook-off, began trash talking with Couch on Monday, and the rivalry had spread to their mutual friends before too long.

“I was the mediator,” said mutual friend Josh Puckett, a first year administrative leadership student. “I’m the friend who had to deal with all this.”

Though Couch believed that his family recipe and distinctive use of buffalo meat from his family’s ranch would set him apart from the rest, neither his chili, nor “Brad’s Southwest Buffalo Chili” took home the prize.

With flavors rated on a spicy scale from 1 to 5, the flavors ranged from the ultra-spicy “Satan’s Breakfast,” made by Sam Craig, to the more mild “Yo Momma’s Green Chili Stew,” by Jennifer Gourney, School of Art and Art History administrative assistant.

In fact, Gourney said she has been back every year to compete for the title. Though she has never taken first prize, she’s driven by another purpose.

“The proceeds go to student travel awards so that students can present their artwork and research in museums,” Gourney said. “I keep coming back because it’s a good fundraiser to help the students.”

Those very students receiving the travel awards had their chance to help out with the fundraiser by creating ceramic chili bowls that the Arts Alliance sold alongside the all-you-can-eat chili bar.

The bowls, made by the ceramics class, provide a souvenir for the patrons, and computer science senior Andrew Nguyen said he has started quite the collection.

“I’ve been to the other ones before,” Nguyen said. “I use the bowls at home for taco soup and other snacks. The bowl is nice, the chili is good, and hey, I didn’t have anything else to do.”

As the intensity of the chili cook-off subsides, Couch said he believes that he and Stevens can remain friends — until next year rolls around.