There’s a number of snippets where it’s clear where the author is going:
Johnny and Maria both strongly deny the presence of chocolate or cocoa in their recipe but do attest to about eighteen different spices in their blend.
Many years ago, a food writer thought that he tasted chocolate and maybe even licorice in Cincinnati chili. In January 1981, the Cincinnati Enquirer posted a recipe for Cincinnati chili that included half an ounce of bitter chocolate
It is possible that the sweetness some have associated with chocolate may be attributed to sherry or sherry vinegar.
One legacy chili parlor owner things that Skyline uses sherry vinegar to impart the sweetness that people like and that some mistake for cocoa or chocolate.
It’s not definitive, but I remember reading a less-excerpted segment version of this book where it was clear the author believed chocolate was not typically used by the chili parlors. Johnny and Maria from my first quote are of Camp Washington Chili (a Cincinnati chili parlor of 75+ years.) This is also not to say that maybe some joints do use it, or that maybe that Enquirer article has inspired people to use it, but it seems at least plausible, if not likely, that the original chili parlors did not use it. The quote about the possible licorice taste, of course, would put fennel as a prime suspect for that flavor, or possible aniseed or star anise. I do not recall tasting anything like that in Skyline chili, at least. Don’t know about the other parlors. With an 18-spice blend at Camp Washington, it wouldn’t surprise me if fennel is one of them. It makes sense to me. Oh, I suppose tarragon could be another possibility, but it just doesn’t feel right to me.
Yes, it’s clear that the author is saying that cocoa was not an original recipe addition. The cut-off quote right at “is a…” just makes me wonder what specific noun or adjective / noun combo came after it. My own obsessive nature, I guess.
I do like adding cocoa powder when I make my own half-ass Skyline chili knockoff, I think it goes well with the cumin and other spices, but I haven’t tried adding allspice to that particular recipe. Maybe next time I’ll add allspice and leave out the chocolate.
The presence of chocolate in Cincinnati chili is a myth. It’s no surprise that Dixie Chili supports the troops. The majority of the Sarakatsannis brothers are United …
Also, for those who haven’t had it, this video gives you a good idea of the chili’s consistency. It’s quite soupy, at least for what I consider chili, more like the consistency of a meaty spaghetti sauce:
Yeah good lord, especially watching the video, do they ever put on a metric ton of shredded cheddar. The Skyline chain alone must be responsible for consuming a goodly amount of Wisconsin’s cheddar output.
It sounds sort of like “goulash” - except goulash has elbow macaroni actually cooked in the sauce. I make mine very soupy, but some like it thick. I don’t put those spices or cocoa in it, however.
Green Bay has its own local chili style, made by Chili John’s, which is not dissimilar to Cincinnati-style chili, and is similarly served on spaghetti, with a big pile of shredded cheddar cheese.
Food Network star Katie Lee says she worked at Skyline Chili when she was in college. Though the original recipe is under lock and key, she has recreated it according to her taste, and she says this is recipe is spot on:
I mentioned I tried a Skyline copycat recipe a few years ago. I think it was very similar to that one but not exactly (the recipe I found had you run the mix in a blender to get the ground beef extra-finely ground). I thought it was very good but it had been too long since I had been down in Ohio and been able to patronize a Skyline restaurant to know how close it was.
My wife pronounced it “interesting”, which is what she says when she doesn’t like one of my cooking experiments
