Cincinnati Chilli
Go Crazy For Cincinnati Chilli On Your Next Trip to Ohio
On our new Ark Encounter group tour, we spend a couple of nights in the Cincinnati area. Called the “Queen City,” by locals, there is plenty to do and see in this regal city that is located on the Ohio River right in the center of the country. There is a thriving art scene, a serious beer scene, Findlay Market that dates to 1852, and food you can’t find anywhere else, like chili.
What I didn’t know before visiting the Cincinnati area was that chili is their iconic must-try regional dish. When most of us think of chili we think of Tex-Mex and a thousand arguments about whether to add beans… or not. The other thing I learned is that Cincinnati Chili was NOT what I expected! At my age, experiencing something new is a thrill… so let me tell you about… Cincinnati Chili!
Origins of Cincinnati Chili
The origin of Cincinnati Chili is not inspired by Texas-styled chili, rather its ingredients go back to a Greek dish called pastitsio. This dish is layered with cheese, pasta, and meat sauce flavored with cinnamon, allspice, and clove.
Cincinnati’s chili craze all began with three Macedonian immigrants, Tom, John, and Argiro Kiradieff who missed the flavors and foods of their home country. With that in mind, the Kiradieff brothers created this iconic dish at their restaurant called The Empress in 1922. They dreamed up a five-way concoction that they called “spaghetti chili.” The dish consisted of a mound of spaghetti topped with chili, chopped onion, kidney beans, and shredded yellow cheese that was served with a side of oyster crackers. The chili sauce itself is much thinner than the Texas version. It is reminiscent of Italian bolognese, but with a sweet Greek flavor profile that is scrumptious.
The Language of Cincinnati Chili
Cincinnati Chili is distinguished by its sweetness derived from cinnamon, allspice, sweet paprika, cloves, nutmeg, and oregano, as well as by its fresh pasta topping. Today, you can order chili at least five different ways! And in Cincinnati, you must order your chili in the language of “ways”
1) 1-Way | This is just a bowl of chili, if you order this, you are missing out!
2) 2-Way | This is ground beef chili ladled over spaghetti, this really isn’t the “real” thing and is more like chili spaghetti.
3) 3-Way | This is where the regional kick starts to come in! The ground beef chili spaghetti is topped with fluffy shredded cheddar cheese.
4) 4-Way | This option adds to the fun and is a popular local favorite. This version gives you a choice of adding either beans or onions to your ground beef chili spaghetti, and cheddar cheese.
5) 5-Way | “The Works” is the most popular and authentic way to eat this dish. It is made with ground beef chili spaghetti, cheddar cheese, beans, and onions.
6) 6-Way | Eating chili this way, has a modern twist! This dish is made with all of the above in addition to garlic @ Dixie or beans, onions, and jalapeños @ Blue Ash.
A word of caution, always remember that it is customary to cut with a knife, not twirl, your chili-smothered spaghetti with a fork!
Cincinnati Chili Today
Oddly, this chili went through a number of names and wasn’t called Cincinnati Chili until the 1950s. This was the era when Cincinnati Chili really took off because of the franchising boom that spread the word around the region and to other states as well. Today there are more than 250 chili parlors in Cincinnati with some parlors having established restaurant chains as far away as Florida. Some of the most popular chili parlors include Blue Ash Chili, a favorite of Guy Fieri, Skyline Chili and its rival Gold Star Chili, and neighborhood favorites like Camp Washington Chili and Dixie Chili. Empress Chili still exists but it is no longer owned by the Kiradieff family and is located in Alexandria, Kentucky.
There are also about 26 different commercially available versions of Cincinnati-style chili seasoning packets including those manufactured by Gold Star, Dixie, and Skyline. These packets come with recipes and make wonderful gifts for friends at home. And don’t forget to pick up a packet for yourself as a reminder of your small group tour with Tours of Distinction. For a recipe for Cincinnati Skyline Chilli, created by Nicholas Lambrinides, click here. This recipe only includes the meat sauce, you will have to decide which “way” you want to serve it!