Pepperoni roll
- This article is about a food originating in north central West Virginia. The term "pepperoni roll" is also used in some parts of the U.S. to refer to a stromboli made with pepperoni.
The pepperoni roll is a snack popular in West Virginia and some nearby regions of the Appalachian Mountains such as Western Pennsylvania, Western Maryland and Appalachian Ohio. It is ubiquitous in West Virginia, particularly in convenience stores, and is arguably the food most closely associated with the state.[1]
The classic pepperoni roll consists of a fairly soft white yeast bread roll with pepperoni baked in the middle. The pepperoni can take several forms: a single stick; several folded slices; or shredded or ground meat.[2] During baking, spicy oil from the pepperoni suffuses the bread.[3] Pepperoni rolls are typically eaten as a snack or as the main dish of a lunch either unheated or slightly warmed.[1]
Variations on the original pepperoni roll may contain different types of cheese, peppers, etc. A pizzeria in Chesapeake, Ohio, which is across the Ohio River from Huntington, West Virginia, introduced a deep-fried pepperoni roll called the Pepperoni Zinger.[4]
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[edit] Origins
The pepperoni roll was invented by Giuseppe "Joseph" Argiro at the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont, West Virginia, in 1927.[5] The rolls originated as a lunch option for the coal miners of north-central West Virginia in the first half of the 20th century.[1][6] Pepperoni rolls do not need to be refrigerated for storage and could readily be packed for lunch by miners. Pepperoni and other Italian foods became popular in north-central West Virginia in the early 20th century, when the booming mines and railroads attracted many immigrants from Italy.[1] The pepperoni roll bears a resemblance to the pasty and sausage roll, which originated in the mining communities of Great Britain, as well as to the Italian calzone.
[edit] Legal challenges
Pepperoni rolls faced a legal challenge in 1987 when the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) proposed re-classifying bakeries that manufactured the rolls as meat packing plants, thus subjecting them to stricter regulations. The bakery owners claimed, however, that the costs of meeting the new regulations would put them out of business. The USDA's proposal was quashed after Jay Rockefeller, U.S. Senator for West Virginia, intervened.[7]
[edit] Other locations
[edit] College Station, Texas
There are a number of niche restaurants which serve both pizza and pepperoni rolls in College Station, Texas.[8][9] The recipe to make this local favorite includes mozzarella or provolone cheese inside the roll along with the pepperoni.
[edit] As military rations
Since the early 2000s, the U.S. military began including a version of the pepperoni roll in one of the MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat) provided to troops. The military's rolls are made by a North Carolina company.[10]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d John T. Edge (29 September 2009). "United Tastes - Pepperoni Rolls, a Piece of West Virginia Culinary History: Fast Food Even Before Fast Food". The New York Times (New York, NY): Style Section: Dining & Wine. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/30/dining/30unit.html. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
- ^ Heffner, Bob. "Pepperoni Roll Variations". The Pepperoni Roll Homepage. Bob Heffner. http://www.bobheffner.com/pepperoniroll/variations.htm. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ Heffner, Bob. "What is a Pepperoni Roll?". The Pepperoni Roll Homepage. Bob Heffner. http://www.bobheffner.com/pepperoniroll/what.htm. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
- ^ "Customers Enjoy Fresh Mozzarella Five Different Ways at Donatos Pizza" (Press release). Donatos Pizzeria, LLC. 23 October 2007. http://www.donatos.com/about_donatos/news_detail.asp?ID=35. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ Mozier, Jeanne (April 1999). Way Out in West Virginia: A Must Have Guide to the Oddities & Wonders of the Mountain. Charleston, WV: Quarrier Press. ISBN 978-1891852022.
- ^ "History of Pepperoni Rolls". Rogers & Mazzas Bakery / Marty's Italian Bakery. http://www.pepperonirolls.net/history.html. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ "Letter from Senator Rockefeller". Pepperoni Roll Rockefeller Letter. Bob Heffner. 12 September 2002. http://www.bobheffner.com/pepperoniroll/rockletter.htm. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
- ^ "Double Dave's – awesome pepperoni rolls". http://sarestaurantreview.wordpress.com/2008/01/25/double-daves-awesome-pepperoni-rolls/. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
- ^ "pepperoni rolls in College Station, TX on Yahoo! Local". http://local.yahoo.com/results?p=pepperoni+rolls&csz=College+Station%2C+TX. Retrieved 3 November 2010.
- ^ Sullivan, Ken (2006). The West Virginia Encyclopedia. West Virginia Humanities Council. pp. 560–561. ISBN 0-9778498-0-5.
[edit] External links
- Restaurant Road Trip: Pepperoni Roll Competition from WBOY-TV
