When Italian immigrants came to work in the West Virginia coal mines during the early 1900s, their contributions went far beyond the energy sector. They also made a lasting mark on the Mountain State’s culture. One tantalizing example: the pepperoni roll, the ultra-popular if unofficial state food.

Similar in some ways to a calzone or stromboli, the pepperoni roll is precisely what its name implies: spicy cured meat, rolled into a traditional Italian-style dough, and baked to a fragrant, flavorful brilliance. Die-hard fans will tell you the best part is the tender, orange-tinted interior, where the bread melds with the pepperoni grease.