Some things are just sacred…

Like the NJ Buttered Hard Roll. As innocuous as the concoction may seem… there’s no beating it. I don’t know why, but I have yet to find another hard roll that even comes close to matching the NJ version of this breakfast staple.

This “Hard Roll with butter” is a standard central NJ breakfast. All deli’s, convenience stores and even gas station markets carry these things! In fact, this beauty was purchased at a gas station mart just up the street from my brother’s house… and damn, it was good!

Can someone please explain to me WHY I cannot find hard rolls like this in MA (or anywhere else I’ve been for that matter)??? The outside is crusty and dotted with cornmeal and the inside soft and airy.

Anyone out there know what the origin of the NJ Hard Roll is? I thought maybe they were related to the “Portuguese Rolls” I can get here in Boston… but alas, they are not the same (not even remotely). And most other bread I find here in the Baystate has a soft exterior… ::SIGH::

Hence the reason I was sure to eat one every morning over our visit last weekend. GREAT way to start a diet, huh?!