West Virginia Macaroni

In the early 1900s, coal miners in West Virginia filled their lunch pails with pepperoni rolls, an Italian-American invention designed to fuel workers down in the shafts. Mining was hard work known for long hours under challenging conditions, but coal miners were (are) a tough lot. To meet the challenge, the right food was essential.

Thus, the pepperoni roll was born, a practical food that lasted long in a lunch pail and provided sustained energy when consumed. As an affirmation of its significance in feeding the workforce of an important industry, the pepperoni roll became the official state food of West Virginia.

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