Pizza snack rolls facts for kids
Pizza snack rolls are super popular, bite-sized treats! They are like tiny, crispy pockets filled with yummy tomato sauce, gooey cheese, and other tasty pizza toppings. You can find them in many flavors, including pepperoni, sausage, or just plain cheese. These snacks are made to be cooked quickly in an oven or microwave. This makes them a perfect snack when you are hungry! The name "pizza rolls" is a special trademark owned by a company called General Mills.
How Pizza Rolls Were Invented
Pizza rolls were first made in the mid-1960s. They were created in a city called Duluth, Minnesota, in the United States. A talented cook and product developer named Beatrice Ojakangas came up with the idea. She worked for a businessman named Jeno Paulucci. Jeno was famous for his frozen Chinese food, like egg rolls. He had a special machine that made egg roll wrappers.
Jeno wanted to find new ways to use his machine. Beatrice tried over 50 different ideas for fillings! Some were sandwich flavors, but the pizza-flavored ones were a big hit. Jeno Paulucci himself said that pizza rolls are "nothing but egg rolls with pizza crust and filling."
Jeno's company started using the "Pizza Rolls" name in 1967. Later, in 1985, Jeno Paulucci sold his company, Jeno's, to the Pillsbury company. Pillsbury already owned another pizza brand called Totino's. In 1993, Jeno's Pizza Rolls were renamed Totino's Pizza Rolls. Then, in 2001, Pillsbury was sold to General Mills.
In 2016, Totino's pizza rolls became even more popular. This happened after some funny commercials about them appeared on the TV show Saturday Night Live.
Different Kinds of Pizza Rolls
Many different companies make pizza snack rolls today. Since the original name "pizza rolls" is a trademark, other companies use different names for their products. You might see them called "pizza bites" or "pizza snacks."
Some companies even offer special versions. You can find pizza rolls that are non-GMO (meaning they don't use genetically modified ingredients). There are also organic versions and even vegan ones. Vegan pizza rolls are made without any animal products, like meat or dairy cheese.
Images for kids
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Pepperoni Pizza Rolls packaging
