Chili has become one of the undisputed kings of Tex-Mex cuisine, blending Mexican culinary traditions with American tastes to make a dish that has become popular throughout the country.
One region of the country where you’ll find chili is just a little bit different than what you’re used to is in the city of Cincinnati, located in southwestern Ohio.
Greek immigrants from the region of Macedonia, who left their home country to move to Cincinnati in the early 20th century, developed a dish that combined traditional Mediterranean spices with a popular food ingredient in American cuisine, beef.
Spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cumin, chili powder, clove, and bay leaf were combined with ground beef and tomato paste to make a type of “stew” that received the name of Cincinnati chili, which really has nothing to do with the most common type of American chili.
This dish began by being served on hot dogs and spaghetti, where diners found that they loved how the flavor worked together with shredded cheddar cheese. This remains the most common way of eating the dish.
Nowadays, you will also find some restaurants that offer the dish with beans and onions, making for a heartier option. What remains constant are the unique spices used to flavor the dish and the one-of-a-kind ways of eating it, especially over spaghetti.
Have you ever had the chance to try Cincinnati Chili? Did you like it?
