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The Pepperoni Roll Capital of the World
Marion County is the epicenter for all things pepperoni roll . From festivals and contests to history tours and food trails , the pepperoni roll is on full display in its birthplace .
A Legends & Lore historical marker , from the West Virginia Folklife Program and the William G . Pomeroy Foundation , stands tall outside of Country Club Bakery , denoting the area ’ s significance in the development of the pepperoni roll . The marker reads : “ Pepperoni Roll : West Virginia delicacy created by Italian families in Fairmont to feed local coal miners . Variants now popular statewide .”
A yearly festival held at Palatine Park in downtown Fairmont celebrates the pepperoni roll for days on end . The West Virginia Three Rivers Festival , which is held on Memorial Day weekend , invites home chefs to enter their best homemade pepperoni roll for a panel of judges . Plus , there is also a professional cook component that pits local bakers against one another in a competition to see which pepperoni roll comes out on top .
Perhaps the most popular event of the festival is the West Virginia Three Rivers Festival Pepperoni Roll Eating World Championship with professional Major League Eaters who race to see who can devour the most Country Club pepperoni rolls in 10 minutes . The current record was set by Joey Chestnut in 2019 at 43 pepperoni rolls .
To get a taste of your own , you can take a pepperoni roll tour created by the Marion County Convention & Visitors Bureau that includes Country Club Bakery and Colasessano ’ s World Famous Pizza & Pepperoni Buns , as well as the Bakers Nook , Mama Di Roma , Dairy Creme Corner , the Copper House Grill and more .
Pepperoni Roll Expansion
The love for the pepperoni roll has spread throughout Marion County and to each corner of the state and beyond . Here are just a few examples of how West Virginians have shared their passion for the pepperoni roll :
• On New Year ’ s Eve , when the clock strikes midnight , the town of Mannington drops a supersized plasticwrapped pepperoni roll to ring in the New Year .
• School lunches throughout the Mountain State feature pepperoni rolls on a monthly basis , while adhering to nutritional guidelines , of course .
• The military has served service personnel MREs — or Meals Ready to Eat — that contain pepperoni rolls due to them being shelf stable and requiring no utensils .
• Pepperoni rolls can be found at bakeries , restaurants , convenience stores and gas stations . They also make appearances at weddings and tailgates and on road trips .
• They have also evolved in style , from slices and ground pepperoni to new additions like hot pepper cheese , ramps and jalapenos . There are mini , bite-sized versions , and there have been versions up to seven feet long .
• Many pepperoni roll producers — including Country Club Bakery and Colasessano ’ s World Famous Pizza & Pepperoni Buns — ship their pepperoni rolls near and far . Whether it is to someone who has moved out of state and craves the taste of home or a military member overseas who could use some comfort food , the pepperoni rolls are packaged and shipped overnight when possible so they arrive fresh and delicious .
The ubiquitous nature of the pepperoni roll speaks to how ingrained it is in West Virginia ’ s culture . What began as a simple , utilitarian snack has become a rallying cry for state pride . It has become part of celebrations and important moments in people ’ s lives .
It has evolved in terms of flavor , as well as where it is found . The variations of the pepperoni roll are endless , and it knows no bounds . While it is still mainly concentrated in North Central West Virginia and most often found within the borders of the Mountain State , the pepperoni roll has traveled far and wide and found celebrity fans in the likes of Anthony Bourdain , Andrew Zimmern and Vivian Howard , among others .
The pepperoni roll is emblematic of the culinary heritage of West Virginia . It is humble , yet impactful . It is delicious , yet simple . It is meaningful , yet straightforward . It is so much more than the sum of its parts in the eyes of Mountaineers , and its impact runs deep in the veins of the Mountain State .
Above all , it embodies West Virginia in one tasty bite . •
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