 The name " Cincinnati chili " is often confusing to those unfamiliar with it because the term " chili " evokes the expectation of chili con carne , which it " bears no resemblance to . " Cincinnati chili is a Mediterranean @-@ spiced meat sauce for spaghetti or hot dogs and is very seldom eaten by the bowl as is typical with chili con carne . It is common for Cincinnatians to describe it starting with , " Well , it 's not really chili ... " Cincinnati chili is always seasoned with cinnamon , usually contains allspice and cloves , and often contains some combination of cumin , paprika , nutmeg , and / or chili pepper . Many copycat recipes call for a small amount of chocolate , but according to Dann Woellert , author of The Authentic History of Cincinnati Chili , " There is no chili parlor in Cincinnati that uses chocolate in its chili . " It is normally of a thin consistency , closer to a soup than a stew , and contains no chunks of meat or vegetables , though it is common to find large pieces of cayenne pepper hulls in Empress chili . The consistency , seasonings , and serving method are more similar to pasta sauce or the spiced meat sauces used to top hot dogs in Rochester and other parts of Upstate New York , Rhode Island , and Michigan than they are to chili con carne . 
