The pepperoni roll is a West Virginia snack invented by Giuseppe “Joseph” Argiro in the late 1920s to 1940s. It consists of soft white bread with a center of pepperoni, and variations can include cheese, green peppers, or tomato sauce. The original bakery remains in business, and the snack is widely available in grocery and convenience stores in the region. The U.S. military also includes a version of the snack in its food rations.
A pepperoni roll is a snack invented in West Virginia most likely popularized by area coal miners who needed a portable snack that didn’t need refrigeration. The roll portion consists of a soft white bread, while the center contains a stick, a few slices, or some ground or chopped peppers. The flavor comes from the cooking process, when the oil from the meat soaks into the bread. This process creates a distinctive orange-red dot at the end of the roll.
Most accounts agree that the pepperoni roll was invented at the Country Club Bakery in Fairmont, West Virginia, by Giuseppe “Joseph” Argiro. While the date of invention is sometimes disputed, it was most likely sometime between the late 1920s and 1940s. Fairmont, located in north-central west Virginia, is known as the “pepper capital of the world.” In this region, the roll is widely available in grocery and convenience stores. Due to regional popularity, church and school groups often sell these snacks to raise funds.
Variations of the pepper roll can include cheese, green peppers, or tomato sauce. Some recipes include sprinkling the top with garlic, salt, butter, or Parmesan cheese. The original version is small, typically about three ounces in weight, and can be eaten at room temperature or slightly warmed. Some regional restaurants also serve the sandwiches toasted, spread across a plate and topped with marinara and melted cheese.
A pepper bake-off is held at the annual West Virginia Three Rivers Festival in Fairmont. Homemade sandwiches are judged on taste, appearance. Many area residents have family recipes that they want to keep private. The snack is also commercially baked in West Virginia. In other parts of the United States, the term pepper roll refers to a Stromboli pepper. This resembles an Italian calzone and Britain’s pasta or sausage roll.
In 1987, the pepperoni roll industry faced a challenge when the United States Department of Agriculture proposed regulations that would have reclassified the ovens that made the rolls into meatpacking plants. In part, the intervention of US Senator Jay Rockefeller prevented the passage. The bakeries believed that stricter regulations on meatpacking plants would likely put them out of business.
The original bakery that made the pepperoni roll remains in business. The Food Network introduced the Country Club Bakery in 2004. The U.S. military began including a version of this snack, called a pepper sandwich, in its military food rations supplied to troops beginning in 2002. The rolls used by the military are made from a company in North Carolina.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
