Sabrina,
I was so sad to miss a few days in Paris with you, but I am so glad you ate so well! This is the greatest roundup – I am saving your full list for my next trip. I especially want the goose rillette, and feel very grateful that you introduced me to the joys of rillette and pate.
I just got back from a trip to West Virginia and wanted to share a food recap with you. So you might be wondering: what is West Virginian food? There’s actually a very quick answer to this, if you ask any West Virginian. It’s the official state food: a pepperoni roll. But the longer answer is more complicated. West Virginian food does not fit perfectly into more famous categories. It’s not quite Southern food, it’s not just mountain food, and there are a bunch of things that you can’t find anywhere else.
This is because food traditions in West Virginia come from a mix of different cultures. There are influences from the indigenous peoples who lived on the land, like the Cherokee, Seneca, and Shawnee, who grew and foraged foods like paw paws, ramps, and corn. There’s also an influence from the European immigrants who came to work in the mines, creating new dishes like the famous pepperoni roll. And, there’s also an influence from Affrilachians (a term coined by poet Frank X. Walker to describe African American Appalachians) – this article about Affrilachian chef Ashleigh Shanti has a great summary of food traditions like living off of the land.
I’m planning to do some more Appalchian cookbook reading to keep learning, including Ronni Lundy’s Victuals and Crystal Wilkinson’s Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts. But in the meantime, here are a few of my favorite West Virginian foods.
Pepperoni rolls from the Glen Jean Exxon
There’s a great West Virginian tradition of knowing where the Best Pepperoni Roll is. Every person knows a gas station or a neighbor or a cafeteria that they’ll say is the winner. My sister Emma discovered some all-time pepperoni rolls this summer, at an Exxon off the highway in southern West Virginia. The pepperoni rolls are homemade, wrapped in foil and kept in a warming case. They have the perfect ratio of pepperoni, mozzarella, and bread, and they’re topped with parmesan cheese and Italian herbs.
Foraged foods
There are a few foods that are very common in West Virginia that can only be foraged in the woods. Ramps, or wild leeks, grow in the spring. In the summer, there are paw paws, a surprisingly tropical-tasting fruit that grows in the dense mountain forests. They’re also called “custard apples” because of their creamy texture. Spring and summer also bring an abundance of wild mushrooms, like morels, chanterelles, and chicken of the woods.
Tudor’s Biscuit World
Finally, of course, I must mention Tudor’s Biscuit World. It’s an iconic West Virginian biscuit chain which recently won a highly competitive contest for the best biscuit in the South (!). The biscuits are salty and fluffy, and you can get them with white sausage gravy or served as a breakfast sandwich. I like the Mary B sandwich, which is a classic bacon, egg, and cheese.
A running letter between long distance friends who love to eat
Do you miss your best friend? Are really hungry you right now? If the answer to either of these is yes, you know what to do.