Inspired by West Virginia
THE MEAL
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Fun Facts about West Virginia:
- They produce 15% of the nation’s coal, and there’s a house made entirely of coal in White Sulphur Springs, WV
- The state was originally going to be called “Kanawha” to honor a Native American tribe, but officials wanted it to have Virginia in the name because the state seceded from Virginia to join the Union side in the Civil War
- It’s 75% forest and entirely within in the Appalachian Mountain range
- They were the first to celebrate Mother’s Day (in 1908–it didn’t become a national holiday until 1914)
- They have DELICIOUS food
PEPPERONI ROLLS
Pepperoni rolls were first sold in Fairmont, West Virginia, in 1927. Giuseppe Argiro owned a bakery, but used to be a coal miner and had observed his colleagues eating sausage and bread for lunch. He got the idea to combine the two, and made his pepperoni rolls a lunch option at the Country Club Bakery. They became a go-to for local coal miners because they could be easily packed to work and didn’t need to be refrigerated.
The idea quickly spread to other bakeries in the area. A large Italian immigrant population made meats like pepperoni readily available in West Virginia, and the rolls were made in a variety of ways. It’s become such a big part of West Virginian cuisine that they’re working on making it West Virginia’s official state food. Also, the Country Club Bakery is still open today, still making pepperoni rolls!
I have a friend from West Virginia who introduced me to these a few years ago, so I was really excited to make them for this meal. Making the dough was familiar enough, but rolling pepperoni slices into it was a little tricky at first. After baking, I found that I had much more dough than pepperoni, so next time I would add a few layers.
The rolls turned out delicious, and I LOVED having them on hand for lunch for the next several days. I think I still prefer pizza rolls, which include cheese and sauce, but pepperoni rolls are a great meal option that take simple ingredients and taste amazing!
COUNTRY-STYLE GREEN BEANS
Green beans originated in South America but spread into North America and became one of the traditional “Three Sisters” crops grown by Native Americans. They’re thought to have been growing in the Appalachian Mountains for over 1400 years!
West Virginia is known for their green beans, and it’s a common dinner-prep activity to snap beans together on the front porch in the summer months. My family usually steams green beans, but this “country-style” recipe involved slow-cooking them with bacon to make them extra tender and flavorful, almost like what you get with canned beans, but WAY less salty and a MUCH better flavor.
I really liked them this way and would happily prepare them this way again for a family meal!
GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES & MOUNTAIN DEW
The Golden Delicious apple is West Virginia’s state fruit, and has been grown in the state since the early 1800s! I wasn’t able to find an actual Golden Delicious for this meal, so just used a random yellow one, but Golden Delicious are said to be in the top 15 most popular apples, and are especially great for use in applesauce and apple butter!
Mountain Dew is so popular in West Virginia that there’s a condition called “Mountain Dew Mouth” that I don’t recommend you Google. The soda was invented in Tennessee but is most popular in West Virginia nowadays, with millions of bottles sold each year. I had never even tried Mountain Dew before this meal. I was surprised at how ordinary it tasted to me–kind of like a more-sugary Sprite. I didn’t dislike it, but I’m not sure I would buy it again. I don’t get the appeal. But it’s a must-have in the Appalachian Mountains, so of course I had to include it with this meal!
GINGERSNAPS
I couldn’t find any specific reason why gingersnaps are popular in West Virginia, but they came up as an iconic dessert for the state, so I went with it! If you happen to know why they’re associated with West Virginia, please let me know in the comments! It might be because molasses has historically been a key sweetener in West Virginia because it was easier to grow in the mountains than sugar cane, so possibly molasses cookies represent that.
Ginger cookies have been made in Germany since the 13th century, and were probably brought to the United States in the earliest days of European settlements. There’s a difference between gingersnaps and molasses cookies, though I didn’t know the distinction before making this meal, and I think I might’ve accidentally gone with the wrong one. Growing up, the “gingersnaps” my mom made were soft and chewy, which means they were actually “molasses cookies.” Gingersnaps are thin and snappy (hence the name). So I wrote down “gingersnaps” as a dessert for West Virginia, but I think I was actually supposed to go with the thicker “molasses cookies.” Oops.
Aaaaanyway.
I love these cookies. I love the flavor so much—it’s so nostalgic for me. The crunchy texture with these ones was fun, but I like the chewy kind better. How do you like your ginger/molasses cookies?
So how do you think I did? Let me know in the comments if you have any suggestions for improvement, and be sure to tune in next time for my take on a meal inspired by Washington DC! If that’s where you’re from, what do you think I should make to represent your state? Bonus points if you have reliable recipes or pro tips before I make the attempt! Thank you for reading!