Chocolate Roll Capital Of The World Is Hiding In Small Town Arkansas And It's As Weirdly Wonderful As You'd Expect
By Carol Ann Carson|Published January 09, 2021
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Carol Ann Carson
Author
Arkansas native, Carol Ann Carson, has written for OnlyInYourState for three years now. She resides in Western Arkansas' Mountain Frontier but calls NWA home as well. The graduate of University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, Carol Ann earned her B.A. in English and will soon be pursing her M.A. in Library Science. She loves exploring the trails around the Buffalo National River and has yet to find a waterfall that wasn't her favorite.
Arkansas has quite a high number of world capitals, it’s just one of the ways we’re a strange state. In addition to quartz crystals, spinach, mountain bikes, and watermelons, Arkansas has another unusual “capital of the world.” Searcy County is the weirdly wonderful Chocolate Roll Capital of the World. Two small towns here, Leslie and Marshall, have earned this title through world records, festivals, and (of course) delicious chocolate rolls! We’re on a roll so let’s learn more:
Arkansas has many a quirk but one of our favorites is Searcy County's claim to fame - as Chocolate Roll Capital of the World!
The community has a long history with this cultural dessert. For generations folks have baked, eaten, and shared the chocolate roll. A couple of towns within Searcy have kept this yummy tradition going strong.
Although the origin story of the chocolate roll has crumbed from time, the treats are undoubtedly a Searcy County special.
The chocolate roll is thought to have originated in Northern Arkansas, possibly around the 1880s. The sweet treat is a wonderful combination of cocoa, butter, and sugar rolled into a gooey pastry. Not quite fried pie, nor cinnamon roll, the chocolate roll is a unique Arkansas tradition.
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Under normal circumstances, one of the towns in Searcy County hosts the Annual Chocolate Roll Festival.
2020 should have been the 9th year for the festival but was cancelled due to the pandemic. Arkansans have their fingers crossed that the festival will return! The festival is hosted by the Marshall High School and is normally held at the end of March. Follow their Facebook Page to hear the latest updates.
At the festival you can compete in the Chocolate Roll Contest. The pride and history of this title go back years. The chocolate roll baker at Misty's Shell Station, Sharon Lewis, learned how to make rolls from her mother, Shirley Diemer. Diemer is a five-time champion of the festival!
If you're not up to competing, festival goers can also attend classes on how to make chocolate rolls as well as have some to eat!
The county recently made a new world record for the irresistible desserts, too!
In December 2020 the Region Market President of First Community Bank in Jonesboro, Allen Williams, made a new world record. He ordered and transported 1,000 chocolate rolls from Misty's Shell Station to give out as gifts in Jonesboro. This is the world's largest known airborne shipment of chocolate rolls in history! This is just one more piece of proof that these rolls cannot be beat.
The next time you're in the county be sure to look for the signs and find a place for your chocolate roll fix!
Misty's Shell Station in Leslie is one such place. You can find more information on them by following their Facebook Page.
Have you tried one of the chocolate rolls here? Have you attended one of the chocolate roll festivals in the past? Share your experiences with us in the comments below!
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