Ohio is home to some odd dishes with interesting backstories. Grab a plate as we dig into Cincinnati Chili, Bertman Mustard, and sauerkraut balls!
Class Discussion Questions:
1) What can you learn about Ohio, based on it's ethnic cuisines?
2) Does your family have any food traditions? What do those traditions teach you about your family's history?
Read the Script:
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, my belly is rumbling and my mouth is watering! As it happens, Ohio has some odd dishes that just might slip their way onto your table this holiday, and they can tell us a lot about our State's history.
Take this dish for example: Cincinnati Chili. You either love it or you hate it, but no matter what, it is an Ohio icon. The dish is a meat and tomato sauce with a mix of spices including cinnamon, cumin and chili pepper. Traditionally, it is served on spaghetti with cheese, onions, or beans. Now, that's a strange mix.
Cincinnati Chili originated where? Yep, you guessed it — in Cincinnati. In the 1920's, two brothers moved here from Macedonia in Southeast Europe. Tom and John Kiradjieff opened their Empress Chili Parlor next to a theater when they arrived. Their food sensation started as a Mediterranean stew, but they soon adapted it to the taste of American customers, adding the pasta underneath and the cheese on top. Now there are chili parlors all around Cincinnati, one of the most recognizable: Skyline Chili. It was started by a former Empress employee.
More immigrants to Ohio tweaked other recipes, too, like Sauerkraut balls. These round appetizers are found almost exclusively in Akron, where they were invented. They're a mix of ground meat and sour cabbage that is breaded and deep-fried. No one has laid claim to being the first to make these treats, but they were most likely invented by German immigrants who in the 1920's and 1930's made up most of the population there. Despite dating back to at least the 1960's, Sauerkraut Balls haven't gained much popularity, they just seem to roll around Akron and that's fine with the folks there.
A Polish immigrant is behind a big Cleveland condiment craze. Baseball fans know that no Tribe game is complete without a hotdog covered in Bertman Ballpark Mustard. Joseph Bertman moved to Cleveland in 1902. When he was just 19, he began a pickle company that soon grew to sell other products like barbecue sauce, sliced pineapple, and in 1921, the iconic mustard.
It is made with vinegar, brown mustard, and spices. Bertman devised the exact recipe in his Cleveland garage and would deliver to stadiums around the city. From pickles to ballparks, like many immigrant entrepreneurs, this guy knew how to grow a business. Okay, so maybe you won't have Cincinnati Chili or Sauerkraut Balls on Turkey Day, but an Ohioan can dream.
Find Out More
Website Article: Food Timeline, Ohio | Learn more about Ohio food history
Newspaper Article: The Columbus Dispatch, Swiss Cheese, Tomatoes Among Ohio’s Contributions to American Cuisine, September 22, 2015. | More famous Ohio foods