Country Club Bakery
Because of the pepperoni's roll's origins in the town, Fairmont has dubbed itself the "pepperoni roll capital of the world". In 2020, in honor of the store and snack's legacy, a marker was put up in Fairmont that states, “West Virginia delicacy created by Italian families in Fairmont to feed local coal miners. Variants now popular statewide.”
History
The original location where the pepperoni roll was invented is on Robinson Street, Fairmont. The store was opened up and the snack was invented by immigrant baker Giuseppe Argiro some time around the 1910s or 1930s.
The rolls originated as a lunch option for West Virginia coal miners in the first half of the twentieth century. A large number of Italian immigrants moved to North Central West Virginia looking for work in coal mining jobs. The pepperoni roll was a convenient snack that didn't spoil for the workers to eat.
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. These foods and the pepperoni shared a similar purpose; they allowed a miner on a break from a tiring and dirty job to eat a full meal with less problem.
References
- ^ "COUNTRY CLUB BAKERY – Holly Eats". www.hollyeats.com.
- ^ Edge, John T. (2009-09-29). "Fast Food Even Before Fast Food". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
- ^ Smith, Vicki (28 March 2004). "Meaty Snack Puts W.Va. Town on the Map". The Washington Post. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
- ^ Virginian, Scott Gillespie | Times West. "Fairmont's pepperoni roll legacy now enshrined". Times West Virginian. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
- ^ "The Pepperoni Roll – State Food of West Virginia". www.wvculture.org. West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture & History. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019.
- ^ Dean, Josh (16 April 2013). "West Virginia's Iconic Fish Roll Is Finally Getting Some Official Recognition". Bon Appetit. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
- ^ Mistich, Roxy Todd, Dave (28 July 2015). "Update: Sheetz to Keep W.Va. Pepperoni Rolls, But Wants Just One Bakery". www.wvpublic.org. Archived from the original on 2020-09-20. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Walker, Chelsea. "Country Club Bakery: Home of the pepperoni roll". The Daily Athenaeum - thedaonline. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
- ^ Watch Sunday Morning: chicken rolls, the pride of West Virginia - Full show on CBS All Access, retrieved 2020-09-10
External links
- Bob Heffner's Pepperoni Roll page, based in Fairmont.
- Pepperoni roll recipes from cooks.com.
- Pepperoni Roll locations in West Virginia History of the pepperoni roll and locations to purchase a pepperoni roll in West Virginia.
- D'Annunzio's Bakery D'Annunzios Bakery operated by 3rd generation baker from West Virginia sells original Pepperoni Rolls online
- [1] Roger and Mazzas Bakery