178
It started, as many iconic foods do, to meet a need. In the case of the pepperoni roll, the coal miners in West Virginia needed a simple lunch they could take into the mines, where they worked long hours.
Many of the miners were Italian, and it is believed their wives came up with the tasty treat, which consists of a roll with a slice or stick of pepperoni inside.
Pepperoni rolls were first produced commercially by Italian immigrant Giuseppe Argiro. He opened a bakery in Fairmont and sold the rolls for 45 cents. You’ll find them throughout the state.
– The Travel 100 staff