10 Traditional West Virginia Foods You Need To Try At Least Once

When you think of West Virginia, you probably think of mountains. Or, maybe you think of vast expanses of wooded, mountainous wilderness that perfectly embody the state's slogan of "Wild, Wonderful West Virginia." What you probably don't think about is food. However, West Virginia has a rich food culture that's directly influenced by what can be foraged in those expansive mountains, as well as budget-friendly ingredients, Appalachian dishes, and Southern cuisine.

Some West Virginia foods are specific to the state, while others can be found across the Appalachian Mountain region. Still, others may be more common in the Southeastern United States. But that's largely the beauty of West Virginia cuisine — it's a unique mixing pot of delicacies from surrounding regions that are fused together with a few unique touches to create something simple and delicious.

If you've never eaten traditional West Virginia food, you're far from alone. However, many of the items you'll find on supper plates across the state are well worth trying. From a state food that's moderately famous to unique ways of eating hot dogs and beyond, here are some traditional West Virginia foods you need to try at least once. Trust us, your taste buds will thank you.

The pepperoni roll is the one food item you may already know about because it's literally West Virginia's state food. The simple yet delicious dish involves pepperoni and a bit of cheese baked inside of bread. When baked together, the oils from the meat seep into the nearby dough, creating a deeper savory profile and an orangish-red coloring.

Although much more involved, the short story of this food's creation is that it was created by an Italian immigrant to help the coal miners. With a pepperoni roll, coal miners could eat their simple meals of bread, meat, and cheese in one hand and leave the other open for drinking. It was also quick to eat, so the miners could quickly go back to work to meet their quotas.

Today, you can find pepperoni rolls at gas stations, bakeries, and restaurants across West Virginia. Many families still make them at home, too. If you could only try one food from this list to perfectly embody the state's cuisine, a pepperoni roll should be it.

Ramps are a type of wild leek that smell and taste strongly of onions with a hint of garlic thrown in for good measure. During the short season, you'll find roadside stands selling these unique wild leeks — some people even sell them out of their truck beds. But, if you knew what you were looking for, you could find them yourself foraging in the mountains sometime between April and June.

There are countless ways to use ramps in your cooking, and traditional West Virginia meals using them abound. Some people add them to soups, stews, salads, or stir-fries. Others sauté them and eat them alone, relishing their strong, pungent flavor. The leaves can be dehydrated and made into a shelf-stable seasoning for year-round use, too.

The one warning you should have before taking a bite out of a ramp is that it's definitely a "love it or hate it" kind of thing. The robust flavor profile can be off-putting if you're not a big fan of onions or garlic. But, if you enjoy that type of thing, you'll adore ramps.

There's no better breakfast in West Virginia than buttery, flaky biscuits topped with rich, hearty, country-style sausage gravy. Of course, you don't have to eat them only for breakfast — you'll find them on the table for lunch and supper, too. You can even have this staple West Virginia dish as a snack when you're feeling a little extra hungry.

Although the biscuits here can come in a can, many old-fashioned households still make the biscuits from scratch. Sausage gravy is often made using a combination of flour, milk, sausage, and meat drippings, along with generous seasoning that can be as basic as just salt and pepper. There are a lot of minor variations on what you can expect eating this dish, but none of them are wrong and nearly all of them are delicious.

If eaten for breakfast, biscuits and gravy is best paired with eggs and fried potatoes. But if eaten for lunch or supper, you can pair it with almost any meat, starch, or vegetable combination to create a more filling meal.

Many states have their own way of eating hot dogs and West Virginia is no different — but their take on this American staple is unique, to say the least. It all starts like any other, with a hot dog in a bun. Then, hot dog chili (without the beans) is added on top, followed by a basic coleslaw recipe, mustard, and thinly sliced onions. You can find this at hot dog stands and ice cream shops throughout the state, but it's most commonly served at home or at large family gatherings.

Thankfully, this is a dish you can easily make and try at home, even if you aren't traveling to West Virginia in the near future. If you're in a time crunch, pair this with your favorite potato chips and call it a day. But if you have time, consider making potato and egg salad and baked beans on the side.

Buckwheat pancakes are similar to the standard flour version you might eat all the time, at least in the way they're made and their shape. However, that's where the similarities end because buckwheat pancakes are made with a special grain called, well, buckwheat. It's a gluten-free pseudo-grain, meaning it's not really a grain like wheat, but closer to a cereal like oatmeal.

When pancakes are made with buckwheat, they're a much darker color, which is the most obvious difference. The taste is different, too. Whereas standard flour options are light, fluffy, and a little sweet, buckwheat pancakes have a mild bitterness and a slightly nutty flavor profile. They also tend to be a little denser once cooked, and they're incredibly popular in West Virginia.

You can top your buckwheat pancakes with your standard butter and syrup combination if you like. But they also taste fantastic with a bit of peanut butter or Nutella, and of course, you can't go wrong with layering on some homemade West Virginia apple butter.

Homemade apple butter makes many appearances in West Virginia cuisine. Serve it on toast, biscuits, rolls, or any bread type — or deviate a little from the most obvious options and drop a spoonful into your oatmeal. It's even a fantastic ingredient in certain cakes, pies, and other sweet treats.

If you're not familiar with apple butter already, it's a type of spread that's really thick but buttery smooth. The texture is something between a jam and peanut butter, with homemade versions often carrying the slightest bit of graininess. And, of course, homemade options are the best, and relatively simple to make.

If you want to try your hand at making your own West Virginia apple butter, you'll need to start with some peeled and sliced apples. Boil these with apple cider vinegar, salt, and water over medium heat until soft. Blend using a blender and add sugar, spices, and vanilla. The spices used can vary from one recipe to the next, but are generally some combination of warm, fall spices. Think cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, or a basic pumpkin pie spice. Finally, add back to a pot and continue cooking until it thickens up.

Country ham is a type of ham that's thick and salty, usually with a round piece of bone directly in the center and a decent amount of fat layered around the edges. Red-eye gravy is created by combining ham drippings with strong black coffee, and it gets its name because the final product has a slight red tint to it if you do it right. But, unlike most other gravies, this one isn't so much savory as it is a bit bitter and salty. The texture is a little silkier than gravies standardly used, too.

The combination of country ham and red-eye gravy is a classic pairing that showcases an ability to use everything — once the ham is fried in the pan, the gravy is made using what's left over on the bottom. You can eat this as-is for a full meal, but it's best when paired with creamy mashed potatoes because it helps balance out the saltiness of the starring dish. Or, if eating for breakfast, opt for fried eggs, fried potatoes, and a biscuit with homemade jam on it. 

Pinto beans or "soup beans" are a popular food item in West Virginia, Appalachia, and throughout the Southern United States. The reason? They're cheap, versatile, warm, and filling. When you can get a bag of beans for a few dollars and use it to feed a large family, it's bound to become a popular dish in areas that were historically poorer than the rest of the nation.

The pinto beans referenced here are specifically meant to be a little soupier. So when boiling the beans in chicken stock or well-seasoned water, make sure they are covered by liquid and then add a cup or two more. Additional liquids are often added during the cooking process because beans soak up so much. Although recipes vary, common seasonings and additives include a bit of bacon, fatback, butter, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, garlic, or sliced onion.

Pairing these beans with cornbread just makes sense. The cornbread adds a more substantial mouthfeel to the meal, offering balance and contrast to the soft, soupy beans. To eat like a true West Virginian, dip your cornbread into the pinto beans to soak up some of the juices.

Fried bologna sandwiches are a simple, cheap, and delicious lunchtime favorite throughout West Virginia. To make one, you just need two pieces of bread, two slices of American cheese, a singular piece of bologna (or two, if you're really hungry), and a bit of mayonnaise or mustard. The bologna is fried until golden brown, when it takes on a taste more like hot dogs than lunch meat. Of course, to stop the bologna from cupping during cooking, four small slices are made on each round side. If you want, you can add any combination of lettuce, tomato, and pickle to your sandwich. 

This is another West Virginia classic you can easily make in the comfort of your own home, no matter where in the world you are. Traditionally, it would be served with potato chips. But, you can serve it with whatever accompaniment you'd like. French fries, sweet potato fries, and tomato soup are all excellent options. Once you try it, fried bologna may just become your new favorite sandwich.

Cobblers are a type of pie that have two unique crusts and are usually stuffed with fruit filling. The bottom crust will be your standard flat pie crust, while the top is softer and fluffier, almost like biscuits. The filling is much thinner than a standard pie, too, so it's not uncommon for it to ooze up through the top or pour out a bit when you're cutting into it.

You can make cobblers with apple, cherry, or blueberry filling. But this specific take with blackberries is unique to West Virginia. Why blackberries? They grow wild across the mountainsides and even in many people's yards in West Virginia. Often, people will pick their own blackberries and create a homemade filling out of them for these pies that involves boiling the berries with some sugar. Some cobbler recipes include whole but soft blackberries mixed in with a thinner sauce. You have to try a slice so you can savor the sweet and tart flavors of this West Virginia pie.