 | |
| Type | Bread |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | United States |
| Region or state | West Virginia |
| Main ingredients | White bread,pepperoni |
| Variations | Cheese (usuallymozzarella orprovolone),marinara |
Thepepperoni roll is anItalian-American stuffedbread roll. Originally conceived of as a coal miner's lunch, it is popular inWest Virginia and some nearby regions of theAppalachian Mountains most notablyWestern Pennsylvania,Western Maryland, andAppalachian Ohio.[1] In West Virginia it is nearly ubiquitous, particularly inconvenience stores, and is arguably the food most closely associated with the state.[2] Pepperoni rolls are also found in Southeast Michigan where they were popular among auto workers in the factories.[3][4]
The classic pepperoni roll consists of a fairly softwhiteyeast-leavened bread roll withpepperoni baked in the middle. During baking, thefats in the pepperoni (which are hard atroom temperature) melt, resulting in a spicy oil suffusing into the bread.[5] Pepperoni rolls are typically eaten for lunch or breakfast, either unheated or slightly warmed.[2]
The pepperoni roll was first sold by Giuseppe "Joseph" Argiro at theCountry Club Bakery inFairmont, West Virginia, in 1927.[6]The rolls originated as a lunch option for thecoal miners of north-central West Virginia in the first half of the 20th century.[2][7] Pepperoni rolls do not need to be refrigerated for storage and could readily be packed for lunch by miners. Pepperoni and otherItalian foods became popular in north-central West Virginia in the early 20th century, when the booming mines andrailroads attracted manyimmigrants fromItaly.[2] The pepperoni roll bears a resemblance to thepasty andsausage roll, which originated in the mining communities ofGreat Britain, as well as theItaliancalzone.[citation needed]
Variations on the original pepperoni roll may contain different types ofcheese,peppers, or other ingredients. The pepperoni within can take several forms, including a single stick, several folded slices, or shredded orground meat.[8]
In 1987, a bakery shipped pepperoni rolls from West Virginia to Maryland.[9] While the pepperoni had been inspected as an ingredient before it was baked into the rolls, the Food Inspection and Safety Service decided that the final product needed to be inspected as well because it was sold outside the bakery, similar to how a bakery making pepperoni pizzas would require inspection of the final product after the pizza was made.[9] TheUnited States Department of Agriculture proposed reclassifying bakeries that manufactured the rolls asmeat processing plants, thus subjecting them to daily inspections for hygiene.[9] The bakery owners said that meeting the new regulations would increase costs so much that producing pepperoni rolls would no longer be profitable to them. The United States Department of Agriculture suggested that the bakeries cut them in half and rename them pepperoni sandwiches, because cut sandwiches are not subject to the additional hygiene regulations, but the bakeries refused, saying customers would not buy pepperoni rolls cut in half.[9]Jay Rockefeller,U.S. Senator for West Virginia, intervened and met withSecretary of AgricultureRichard Lyng.[10] After the meeting, Secretary Lyng issued a special exemption to bakeries producing pepperoni rolls.[11]
In the early 2000s, theU.S. military began including a version of the pepperoni roll in one of the MREs (Meals, Ready-to-Eat) provided to troops. In the late 2000s, the U.S. Army changed the pepperoni roll to itsFirst Strike Ration. These rations are designed for light infantry, airborne, and special forces during a typical 72-hour patrol. The pepperoni roll's compact size and comparatively high nutritional return make it an ideal ration for these patrols. These rations were extensively employed duringOperation Enduring Freedom. The military's rolls are made by aNorth Carolina company.[12]
