My headcanon for the invention of Cincinnati chili is that some midwestern person read that chili is “heavily spiced” and used what they had available, including cinnamon and nutmeg.
Cincinnati chili comes from Greek and immigrants fleeing the Balkan wars of the 1920’s. they got off the boat in New York and saw everyone eating Coney dogs and New York style spaghetti.They then get to Ohio and figure that’s what Americans like to eat, so they made a sauce using Mediterranean ingredients and flavors that they were familiar with. If they had called it anything other than chili, it would be widely regarded as Cincinnati’s greatest contribution to American cuisine.
When I worked there, I had to refund a few people coming from Missouri and Texas who did not expect what they got (and somehow were not concerned at the smell when they walked in to sit down).
I’m an adamant defender of skyline, but I think it’s already considered Cincinnati’s greatest contribution to American cuisine. I can’t think of any others despite being from Dayton myself
My headcanon for the invention of Cincinnati chili is that some midwestern person read that chili is “heavily spiced” and used what they had available, including cinnamon and nutmeg.
And chocolate. Cincinatti chili is great
Except for when they eat it over spaghetti and cut it with a knife instead of twirling
I’ve managed to do this for decades without incident or injury to myself or others.
Cincinnati chili comes from Greek and immigrants fleeing the Balkan wars of the 1920’s. they got off the boat in New York and saw everyone eating Coney dogs and New York style spaghetti.They then get to Ohio and figure that’s what Americans like to eat, so they made a sauce using Mediterranean ingredients and flavors that they were familiar with. If they had called it anything other than chili, it would be widely regarded as Cincinnati’s greatest contribution to American cuisine.
I wasn’t aware that chocolate was a traditional Greek flavoring
No Cincinnati chili parlors hhave ever officially added chocolate, but it is common with homemade Cincinnati chili.
When I worked there, I had to refund a few people coming from Missouri and Texas who did not expect what they got (and somehow were not concerned at the smell when they walked in to sit down).
I’m an adamant defender of skyline, but I think it’s already considered Cincinnati’s greatest contribution to American cuisine. I can’t think of any others despite being from Dayton myself
Maybe goetta? But goetta might be more controversial than skyline, so maybe that disqualifies it