A State-by-State Guide to the Most Iconic Foods in America

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Ohio: Cincinnati Chili

Ohio’s most iconic dish defies expectations of what chili should be. Cincinnati chili is a thin, spiced meat sauce served over spaghetti – a unique concoction that has sparked both love and controversy far beyond Ohio’s borders. Invented by Macedonian immigrant restaurateurs in the 1920s, this chili is quite different from the chunky Texas variety. It’s made with ground beef, tomato paste or sauce, and an uncommon mix of spices that often includes cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and cocoa powder, giving it a distinctly warm, almost sweet aromatic flavor. The chili is slow-simmered until it’s velvety and fine-textured. How it’s served is another surprise: most commonly, Cincinnati chili comes “5-way,” which means ladled over a bed of spaghetti, topped with beans, chopped onions, and a huge mound of finely shredded cheddar cheese (crackers and hot sauce on the side). You might also get it “coney” style on a hot dog with mustard and onions. Skyline and Gold Star are two famous chili parlor chains that have popularized it, but countless local parlors serve their own versions around Ohio. Cincinnati chili’s unconventional presentation and seasoning make it one of the most iconic regional dishes in America, and Ohioans fiercely adore it – it’s a taste of home that is undeniably, idiosyncratically Ohio.