Why are Pepperoni rolls illegal in some states?
They have a bizarre controversy attached to their history – In 1987, the United States Department of Agriculture wanted to classify bakeries that sold them as “meat processing plants” because of the rolls‘ pepperoni center. Apparently, the innocent pepperoni rolls are banned in Virginia.
What is a West Virginia pepperoni roll?
The pepperoni roll is an Italian-American stuffed bread roll. Originally conceived of as a coal miner’s lunch, it is popular in West Virginia and some nearby regions of the Appalachian Mountains such as Western Pennsylvania, Western Maryland, and Appalachian Ohio.
What state is famous for pepperoni rolls?
West Virginia’s state food may be simple, but its story sure isn’t. Pepperoni rolls are elegantly simple, but uniquely West Virginian: country roll dough filled with sticks or slices of pepperoni. The treat has deep roots in the coal industry (much like our state itself.)