Ohio Valley Regional Foods: Chili, Goetta and Burgoo

Ohio Valley regional foods are the dishes of Cincinnati and Louisville and the river between them: Cincinnati chili, a spiced meat sauce over spaghetti, goetta, a breakfast sausage of pork and oats, Kentucky burgoo, a thick stew, and the Louisville hot brown, an open-faced turkey sandwich.

The two cities are about two hours apart by road, so a weekend can take in both. Eat chili at a parlor, goetta for breakfast and a hot brown for dinner.

What are Ohio Valley regional foods?

The valley's cooking reflects the people who settled it. German immigrants brought sausage and oats, Greek and Macedonian cooks created the chili parlor, and Southern traditions came up the river from Kentucky and Tennessee. The result is a set of dishes that look unusual to visitors and feel like home to locals.

You can eat several in one weekend, because Cincinnati and Louisville are about two hours apart by road. A short drive connects them.

What is Cincinnati chili?

This regional chili is unlike the chili most people know. It is a thin, finely ground meat sauce flavored with warm spices such as cinnamon and allspice, served over spaghetti and topped with a pile of shredded cheese. You order it by "ways": a three-way is spaghetti, chili and cheese; a four-way adds onions or beans; a five-way adds both.

Cheese coneys are small hot dogs in buns, topped with the same chili and cheese. Oyster crackers and hot sauce sit on the table. Eat it with a fork, and do not expect a thick, chunky chili.

Where to try Cincinnati chili

Chili parlors are found all over the Cincinnati area, from long-running chains with several branches to small neighborhood counters, and any of them will serve a three-way or a cheese coney. No parlor is named here, so read each one's own page for its branches and hours.

Hours change, so check before you go. A visit to a parlor in the late evening is a local tradition.

What is goetta, and where do you find it?

Goetta (pronounced get-ah) is a breakfast meat made from ground pork, steel-cut oats and spices, formed into a loaf, sliced and fried until crisp. It came with German immigrants and is a Cincinnati staple. A local brand is the best known and is sold in grocery stores across the region, and the town of Newport, Kentucky, holds a goetta festival each summer.

Order it at a diner with eggs and toast, or buy a roll from a market to cook at home. Fry it in a pan until the outside is brown. Slice it thin for a crisp edge, or thicker if you like a softer middle, and serve it with mustard, maple syrup or apple butter, as many Cincinnati cooks do.

Findlay Market: where to buy regional food

Findlay Market is a public market in Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. It has butchers, bakers, cheesemongers and stalls selling local products, and it is open on certain days of the week. A visit is a good way to buy goetta, sausage, bread and cheese in one stop.

Opening days and hours change with the season, so check the market's page.

What is Kentucky burgoo?

Burgoo is a thick stew, traditionally made with several meats and plenty of vegetables, cooked slowly in large kettles. It is served at community events, barbecues and on Kentucky Derby day. Recipes vary, and every cook has a favorite. It is usually eaten with cornbread or crackers.

Look for it at barbecue restaurants, church suppers and festivals. A cup is a good introduction.

Louisville: the hot brown

Louisville's best-known dish is the hot brown, an open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon, tomato and a creamy cheese sauce, baked until bubbling. For the full story and how to order, read the hot brown guide.

What else do people eat in the Ohio Valley?

Fried chicken, country ham and biscuits, barbecue and pie fill the rest of the table. In Ohio, buckeyes (peanut butter fudge dipped in chocolate) are a candy tradition, and in Kentucky, Derby pie, a chocolate and walnut tart, is a classic. Rivers feed a fish fry culture too, with catfish and perch on Friday menus.

Look at church suppers and local festivals, which often serve the oldest recipes. Many allow visitors, and the food is cheap and generous. Bring cash and an appetite, and ask the cooks what the recipe is; they are usually proud of it and happy to talk.

How should you plan an Ohio Valley food trip?

Base yourself in Cincinnati or Louisville and drive the two hours between them. Eat chili at a parlor, goetta for breakfast and a hot brown for dinner. Try burgoo at a barbecue place or a festival.

For related foods in the hills to the east, see the Appalachian food guide. For another Midwestern city, read the brunch in Chicago guide. The whole country is on the US guides page.

Three-ways, goetta and burgoo all reward comparison. The Mosey app lets you rate each valley dish you eat and keep a list that follows the river from Cincinnati to Louisville.