Cincinnati chili may seem like a head-scratcher of a dish: Is it chili or is it pasta? The answer is both. This iconic combination of spaghetti topped with a hearty, spiced chili and often a pile of shredded cheddar cheese, hails from the Midwest. It may seem sacrilegious to those with other notions of chili, but it’s definitely worth a try.

Cincinnati chili was created in immigrant restaurants in the Midwest in the 1920s. It’s ground beef simmered in a sauce filled with Mediterranean spices. There are two key ingredients in Cincinnati chili that differentiate it from other kinds of chili: ground cinnamon and dark chocolate. The final chili is more sauce-like in texture, and not as thick as a chili normally eaten with a spoon.

Cincinnati chili is not meant to be eaten by itself, and it’s always served over spaghetti. To truly experience Cincinnati chili, try it with toppings.