Cincinnati Chili

Coming from the most chili-mad city in the United States after Texas, Cincinnati chili is a popular dish made with ground meat, stock, and unusual spices such as cinnamon, allspice, Worcestershire sauce, and chocolate or cocoa. The chili is usually served over pasta such as spaghetti, then topped with a flavorful combination of shredded Cheddar, fried beans, onions, and crushed oyster crackers. With more than 180 chili joints in the city, Cincinnati takes great pride in being a chili capital. The dish was invented in 1922 by a Macedonian immigrant called Tom Kiradjieff. He opened a Greek restaurant called The Empress, which was a total failure until Tom started to serve chili prepared with Middle Eastern spices. The locals went with it, and the results can be seen even today. Chili joints started opening all over the city, with Skyline and Gold Star each creating their own mini-empire after the Empress started the chili-craze.