Pastirma

{{Short description|Spiced dried beef}}{{pp-extended|small=yes}} thumb|right|Pastirma

'''Pastirma''' is a heavily seasoned, air-dried cured meat, typically water buffalo or beef, that is found in multiple Balkan and Mediterranean cuisines under a variety of names.

== Etymology and history == The dish has multiple names in a variety of cuisines. It is known as or '''pasterma''',<ref name="RayDidier2014">{{cite book |author-first1=Ramesh C. |author-last1=Ray |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qJlBBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA263 |title=Microorganisms and Fermentation of Traditional Foods |author-first2=Montet |author-last2=Didier |date=21 August 2014 |publisher=CRC Press |isbn=978-1-4822-2308-8 |page=263}}</ref> '''pastarma''',<ref name="Govezhda">{{cite web |date=2 June 2017 |title=Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/1106 of 21 June 2017 entering a name in the register of traditional specialities guaranteed (Пастърма говежда (Pastarma govezhda) (TSG)) |url=https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32017R1106 |access-date=5 May 2025 |work=Official Journal of the European Union}}</ref> '''pastırma''', '''pastrma''', '''pastourma''',<ref name="Wright2003">{{cite book |author-first1=Clifford |author-last1=Wright |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x3t2IJeFIh8C&pg=PA291 |title=The Little Foods of the Mediterranean: 500 Fabulous Recipes for Antipasti, Tapas, Hors D'Oeuvre, Meze, and More |date=26 September 2003 |publisher=Harvard Common Press |isbn=978-1-55832-227-1 |page=291}},</ref> '''basdirma''',<ref name="Wadi2015">{{cite book |author-first1=Sameh |author-last1=Wadi |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1EWwBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA82 |title=The New Mediterranean Table: Modern and Rustic Recipes Inspired by Traditions Spanning Three Continents |date=14 April 2015 |publisher=Page Street Publishing |isbn=978-1-62414-104-1 |pages=82}}</ref> '''basterma''',<ref name="Basan2007">{{cite book |author-first1=Ghillie |author-last1=Basan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-7wnpIi3VRwC&pg=PA198 |title=Middle Eastern Kitchen |publisher=Hippocrene Books |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7818-1190-3 |page=198}}</ref> '''basturma''',<ref>{{Cite journal |last=harry g. levine |date=2007 |title=pastrami land: the jewish deli in new york city |journal=Contexts |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=67– |doi=10.1525/ctx.2007.6.3.67 |jstor=41801065 |s2cid=60894880 |doi-access=free}}</ref> or '''aboukh'''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 July 2016 |title=How Do You Say Basturma in Armenian? |url=https://armenianprelacy.org/2016/07/08/how-do-you-say-basturma-in-armenian/ |website=The Armenian Prelacy}}</ref> {{Wiktionary}}

''Basturma'' existed in ancient Armenian cuisine, where it was known as ''aboukh''' ({{Langx|hy|աբուխ}}).<ref>{{Cite book |author=Abdallah, Marwa Ragab |title=The meat that ancient Armenian warriors used to survive Aboukh(Commonly known as Basturma)and Sujukh. |oclc=1187870747}}</ref>{{full citation needed|date=June 2022}}<ref>{{Citation |title=The History of Aboukh/Pastirma: A Dry-Cured Beef Product of Armenian Origin |date=2012-01-11 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/b11479-44 |work=Handbook of Meat and Meat Processing |pages=708–719 |publisher=CRC Press |doi=10.1201/b11479-44 |isbn=978-0-429-15146-0 |access-date=2022-06-06|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The word ''abookhd'' (Classical Armenian ''apukht'') was already used in the Armenian translation of the Bible, in the fifth century AD, meaning “salted and dried meat”.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Do You Say Basturma in Armenian? |url=https://armenianprelacy.org/2016/07/08/how-do-you-say-basturma-in-armenian/ |website=The Armenian Prelacy|date=8 July 2016 }}</ref> According to T. Durham, basturma is of Armenian origin and was later exported to the Middle East, where it is still prepared according to old family recipes.<ref>T. R. Durham. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/gfc.2001.1.1.78 Salt, Smoke, and History] // Gastronomica , Vol. 1, No. 1 (Winter 2001), pp. 78-82.<blockquote>In the Middle East, basturma - spiced and wind-dried beef - is still made according to old family recipes. Of Armenian origin, this seasoned meat was carried by Turkish horsemen who allegedly wedged it between saddle and horse for extra salt and savor.</blockquote></ref>

''Pastırma'' is mentioned in Mahmud of Kashgar{{'}}s Diwan Lughat al-Turk and Evliya Çelebi{{'}}s Seyahatname.<ref name="kaban">{{Cite journal |last=Kaban |first=Güzin |date=2013-12-01 |title=Sucuk and pastırma: Microbiological changes and formation of volatile compounds |journal=Meat Science |series=59 th International Congress of Meat Science and Technology, 18–23 August 2013 Izmir/Turkey |volume=95 |issue=4 |pages=912–918 |doi=10.1016/j.meatsci.2013.03.021 |issn=0309-1740 |pmid=23608196}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2022}} According to Turkish scholar Biron Kiliç, the term is derived from the Turkic noun ''bastırma'', which means "pressing".<ref name="birol">{{Cite journal |last=Kilic |first=Birol |date=2009 |title=Current trends in traditional Turkish meat products and cuisine |journal=LWT - Food Science and Technology |volume=42 |issue=10 |pages=1581–1589 |doi=10.1016/j.lwt.2009.05.016 |issn=0023-6438}}</ref>{{better source needed|date=June 2022}} The ''Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink'' writes that ''pastırma'' is the word the Ottomans used for a type of Byzantine cured beef that was called ''paston'' (παστόν).<ref name="Turkish American food">{{Cite book|publisher=OUP USA|isbn=978-0-19-973496-2 |last=Kraig |first=Bruce|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=DOJMAgAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PA502 |title=The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America |date=2013-01-31 |quote=When the Ottomans settled in Istanbul they also adopted a number of Byzantine dishes, one of which was a form of cured beef called ''paston'' and which the Turks called ''pastirma'' […] It became and remains a specialty of Kayseri in Cappadocia in west central Turkey. |access-date=2018-07-18 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180728181650/https://books.google.com/books?id=DOJMAgAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PA502 |archive-date=2018-07-28 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Citation |title=After the Armenians now the Greeks(Byzantines){{!}}The evolution of Pastirma |date=2012-01-11 |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/b11479-44 |work=Handbook of Meat and Meat Processing |pages=708–719 |publisher=CRC Press |doi=10.1201/b11479-44 |isbn=978-0-429-15146-0 |access-date=2022-06-06|url-access=subscription }}</ref> According to Johannes Koder, an expert in Byzantine studies, ''paston'' could mean either salted meat or salted fish, while ''akropaston'' (ἀκρόπαστον) means salted meat.<ref name=brubaker>{{Cite book| publisher = Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.| isbn = 978-0-7546-6119-1| last1 = Brubaker| first1 = Leslie| last2 = Linardou| first2 = Kallirroe| title = Eat, Drink, and be Merry (Luke 12:19): Food and Wine in Byzantium : Papers of the 37th Annual Spring Symposium of Byzantine Studies, in Honour of Professor A.A.M. Bryer| date = 2007|pages=47–62|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pGfbbVfR9Z8C&pg=PA60}}</ref> Andrew Dalby gives the definition of ''paston'' as "salted fish" and ''akropaston apakin'' as "well-salted fillet steak".<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = I.B.Tauris| isbn = 978-0-85771-731-3| last = Dal| first = Andrew| title = Tastes of Byzantium: The Cuisine of a Legendary Empire| date = 2010-06-30|page=189}}</ref> Gregory Nagy gives the definition of ''akropaston'' as "smoked", describing ''apakin'' as "a kind of salami sausage, probably similar to pastourma".<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Routledge| isbn = 978-1-136-06626-9| last = Nagy| first = Gregory| title = Greek Literature in the Byzantine Period: Greek Literature| date = 2014-01-02| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=fQiTAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA311| access-date = 2018-07-18| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180728181650/https://books.google.com/books?id=fQiTAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA311| archive-date = 2018-07-28| url-status = live}}</ref> The ''Oxford Companion for Food'' says that a Byzantine dried meat delicacy was "a forerunner of the pastirma of modern Turkey".<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Oxford University Press| isbn = 978-0-19-280681-9| last = Davidson| first = Alan| editor1-first = Tom| editor1-last = Jaine| title = The Oxford Companion to Food| access-date = 2018-07-16| date = 2006| url = http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780192806819.001.0001/acref-9780192806819| quote = “This is certainly true of Byzantine cuisine. Dried meat, a forerunner of the ''pastirma'' of modern Turkey, became a delicacy.”| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180603175749/http://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780192806819.001.0001/acref-9780192806819| archive-date = 2018-06-03| url-status = live| doi = 10.1093/acref/9780192806819.001.0001}}</ref>

The English word ''pastrami'' came by way of Yiddish and perhaps combined with the word ''salami''.<ref>{{Cite journal| volume = 6| issue = 3| pages = 67–| last = harry g. levine| title = pastrami land: the jewish deli in new york city| journal = Contexts| date = 2007| jstor = 41801065| doi = 10.1525/ctx.2007.6.3.67| s2cid = 60894880| doi-access = free}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Benor |first=Sarah Bunin |date=2020 |title=Chapter 1: Pastrami, Verklempt, and Tshootspa: Non-Jews' Use of Jewish Language in the United States |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48742390 |journal=The American Jewish Year Book |volume=120 |pages=3–69 |doi=10.1007/978-3-030-78706-6_1 |jstor=48742390 |issn=0065-8987|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Popescu |first=Floriana |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VzJ3DwAAQBAJ&dq=pastrami+comes+from+romanian+etymology&pg=PA201 |title=A Paradigm of Comparative Lexicology |date=2018-11-07 |publisher=Cambridge Scholars Publishing |isbn=978-1-5275-2107-0 |language=en}}</ref>

==Preparation and usage== [[File:Pastirma with three eggs.jpg|thumb|Pastirma with three eggs, a common breakfast dish]]

Pastirma is prepared by salting the meat, then washing it with water and letting it dry for ten to 15&nbsp;days. After that the blood and salt is squeezed out of the meat which is then covered with a cumin paste called ''çemen'' (lit. "fenugreek") prepared with crushed cumin, fenugreek, garlic, and hot paprika, followed by thorough air-drying. Even though beef is the most common meat today, various meats are also used depending on locality, including camel, lamb, goat, and water buffalo.<ref>Maria Kaneva-Johnson: ''The Melting Pot. Balkan Food and Cookery.'' Prospect Books, 1995. {{ISBN|0-907325-57-2}}. p. 62</ref>

==Cuisines== Pastirma is present in the cuisines of Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Romania, Bulgaria, Egypt, the Kurds, Greece, Cyprus, Iraq, the Levant, North Macedonia, Turkey and Georgia.<ref>''PASTIRMA Also known as pasterma, pastarma or pastourma. Mutton, beef or goat meat marinated with strong taste, pastirma forms part of Turkish and Greek mezze and is eaten like dried ham.'' For more see: New Larousse Gastronomique, Hachette UK, 2018, ISBN 0600635872, p. 562.</ref><ref>''The Bulgarians and Serbs call it pastarma; the Greeks, pastourmas; the Azerbaijanis, bastirma; the Arabs, basterma; and the Romanians, pastrama.'' For more see: Robert Sietsema, New York in a Dozen Dishes, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015, ISBN 0544454316, p. 112.</ref><ref>''The stuffing consists of what the Greeks call pastourma, known to the Turks as pastırma and to the Arabs as basturmā.'' For more see: Clifford Wright, Little Foods of the Mediterranean: 500 Fabulous Recipes for Antipasti, Tapas, Hors D'Oeuvre, Meze, and More, Harvard Common Press, 2003, ISBN 1558322272, p. 291.</ref><ref>The Greeks of Cappadocia have contributed in modest but distinct ways to the general food culture of modern Greece, reinforcing and adding their own nuances to the special foods of the major Christian festivals. They also claim pastirma as one of their specialities. In spite of such Byzantine precursors as apokti, it is true that the pastirma tradition has deep roots in the nomadic culture of the medieval Turks. It is highly probable that they transmitted the idea to the Cappadocians alongtime before Constantinople was conquered, and, although Constantinople knew all about pastirma from the seventeenth century onwards, it is certain that after the population exchanges of 1923 modern Greece acquired its knowledge of pastirma from the Capadocians. For more see: Gifts of the Gods: Andrew Dalby, Rachel Dalby, A History of Food in Greece, Foods and Nations, Reaktion Books, 2017, ISBN 1780238630, p. 149.</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title = Osmanlı/İstanbul mutfağı üzerine| date = 7 May 2015| access-date = 2018-11-18| url = http://www.cumhuriyet.com.tr/haber/yeryuzu_sofralari/314013/Osmanli_istanbul_mutfagi_uzerine.html}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Schocken Books| isbn = 978-0-8052-1224-2| last = Gur| first = Janna| title = The Book of New Israeli Food: A Culinary Journey| date = 2008 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zkbGpxM6QYgC&pg=PA9}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|last1=El-Magoli|first1=S.B.M.|title=ETHNIC MEAT PRODUCTS {{!}} Middle East|date=2014|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Meat Sciences|pages=553–554|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=9780123847348|last2=Abd-Allah|first2=M.A.|doi=10.1016/b978-0-12-384731-7.00197-5}}</ref>

===Armenia=== {{further|Armenian cuisine}} The cured meat, which resembles Italian bresaola, is called ''basturma'' (բաստուրմա) or ''aboukht'' (ապուխտ) by Armenians.<ref name=bezjian>{{Cite web| last = Bezjian| first = Nigol| title = Bezjian: Travels with Basturma| work = The Armenian Weekly| access-date = 2018-11-18| date = 2009-08-18| url = http://armenianweekly.com/2009/08/17/bezjian-travels-with-basturma/}}</ref> Some Armenian pizzerias in cities like Yerevan, Boston and Los Angeles serve basturma topped pizza.<ref name=bezjian /> Armenian restaurants also serve basturma topped burgers,<ref>{{Cite web |title=$25 and Under; The Tastes of Armenia With a French Accent |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/11/dining/25-and-under-the-tastes-of-armenia-with-a-french-accent.html |website=The New York Times|date=11 March 1998 |last1=Asimov |first1=Eric }}</ref> basturma can be added to salads,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Make your own Armenian charcuterie |url=https://www.popsci.com/story/diy/make-cured-beef-basturma/ |website=Popular Science|date=17 March 2020 }}</ref> and basturma with omelette is also a common breakfast item in Armenia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Basturma Omelette Recipe – Apukht Omelette |url=https://heghineh.com/basturma-omelette/ |website=Heghineh|date=6 May 2016 }}</ref> Basturma, or a basturma omelette can also be wrapped inside a lavash, alongside other ingredients like coriander, chechil cheese, and garlic matzoon.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Basturma Omelette, A Great Armenian Breakfast |url=https://phoenixtour.org/blog/basturma-omelette-a-great-armenian-breakfast/ |website=Phoenix Tour|date=14 February 2022 }}</ref>

According to Nigol Bezjian, Armenians who survived the 1915 genocide brought ''basturma'' with them to the Middle East. Bezjian recalls that his grandmother used to prepare "basturma omelets fried in olive oil with pieces of lavash bread". He notes that Armenians from Kayseri were particularly renowned ''basturma'' producers.<ref name=bezjian />

Arabs mocked Armenians with phrases like "It smells like there is ''basturma'' here", referring to the strong smell of ''basturma'' that is produced by the garlic and fenugreek mixture that the meat is coated in during preservation. Shoushou, a well-known Lebanese comedian of the 1960s–1970s, portrayed a caricature of an Armenian ''basturma'' seller; he retired the character after local Lebanese Armenians complained.<ref name=bezjian />

In Palestine, Armenian families gather on New Year's Eve and eat traditional foods including ''basturma'', çiğ köfte and a traditional Anatolian confection called kaghtsr sujukh ({{lang|hy|քաղցր սուջուխ}}).<ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Artisan Books| isbn = 978-1-57965-727-7| last = Duguid| first = Naomi| title = Taste of Persia: A Cook's Travels Through Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, and Kurdistan| date = 2016-09-06 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v-GACwAAQBAJ&pg=PA317}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title = Panem et Circenses - This Week in Palestine| access-date = 2018-11-18| url = http://thisweekinpalestine.com/panem-et-circenses/| archive-date = 2018-11-19| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181119051641/http://thisweekinpalestine.com/panem-et-circenses/| url-status = dead}}</ref>

In 2025, Armenia applied for geographical indication (GI) registration for Armenian basturma.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://aipo.am/en/news/view/193|title=Applications for registration of geographical indications of "Armenian lavash," "Armenian basturma," "Armenian sujukh," and "Armenian matsoun" have been submitted|date=17 April 2025|website=Ministry of Economy of Armenia|access-date=6 September 2025}}</ref>

===Bulgaria=== Pastarma (as it is called in Bulgaria) arrived in Bulgaria in the 7th century. Specific products include Пастърма говежда / Pastarma Govezhda, which was registered as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed in the EU in 2017.<ref name="Govezhda" />

===Egypt=== {{further|Egyptian cuisine#Cured_meats}} In Egypt bastirma ({{lang|arz|بسطرمة}}) is customarily made from lean cuts of beef or water buffalo,<ref name=gagaoua>{{Cite journal| doi = 10.1016/j.jef.2018.02.004| issn = 2352-6181| volume = 5| issue = 2| pages = 83–98| last1 = Gagaoua| first1 = Mohammed| last2 = Boudechicha| first2 = Hiba-Ryma| title = Ethnic meat products of the North African and Mediterranean countries: An overview| journal = Journal of Ethnic Foods| date = 2018-06-01| url = https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01723925/file/2018_Gagaoua_J_Etnic_Foods.pdf| doi-access = free}}</ref> such as the eye of round or tenderloin. These cuts are first cured with salt to extract excess moisture. Following the curing process, the meat is enveloped in a wet paste made with a blend of spices, including fenugreek, paprika, cumin, black pepper, and garlic, which creates a flavorful crust. The meat is then left to air-dry until it reaches a firm texture, a duration that varies with its size, and is ultimately served in thin slices.<ref>{{cite web |title=Basturma (Pastirma or Just Basturma?) |url=https://amiraspantry.com/basturma-pastirma-or-just-bastirma/ |website=Amira's Pantry |date=12 June 2020 |access-date=March 17, 2025}}</ref> It is often eaten with eggs for breakfast or as a topping in other dishes, like savory versions of feteer.

===Turkey=== {{further|Turkish cuisine}} In Turkish cuisine pastırma can be eaten as a breakfast dish, and it is a common ingredient in omelettes, ''menemen'' (Turkish-style ''shakshouka'') or a variation of eggs benedict.<ref>{{Cite AV media| people = Arda'nın Mutfağı| title = Yumurtanın En Lezzetli Hali - Eggs Benedict Tarifi - Arda'nın Mutfağı| access-date = 2018-07-31| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLKrVDBQKcU| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180731161818/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLKrVDBQKcU| archive-date = 2018-07-31| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media| people = Migros Türkiye| title = Pastırmalı Yumurta Tarifi| access-date = 2018-07-31| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_W6DgA7IuI| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180731161818/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_W6DgA7IuI| archive-date = 2018-07-31| url-status = live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title = Pastırmalı Menemen| work = Sabah| access-date = 2018-11-18| url = https://www.sabah.com.tr/sofra/tarifler/diger/pastirmali_menemen}}</ref>

''Pastırma'' can be used as a topping for hummus,<ref>{{Cite AV media|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO1iYIPhCLM |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/NO1iYIPhCLM| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Pastırmalı Humus Tarifi|access-date=2018-07-18|work=Nursel'in Evi}}{{cbignore}}</ref> ''pide'' bread,<ref>{{Cite AV media| work = Nursel'in Evi| title = Pastırmalı Pide Tarifi| access-date = 2018-07-18| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpGH6zGtqKc| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180728181650/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpGH6zGtqKc| archive-date = 2018-07-28| url-status = live}}</ref> hamburgers,<ref>{{Cite AV media |title= Pastırmalı Hamburger ve Lahana Salatası Tarifleri |work= Arda'nın Mutfağı {{!}} 1.Bölüm (01.11.2015) |access-date= 2018-07-18 |url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap0gaHGc5lI}}</ref> and toasted sandwiches with either cheddar cheese or kasar cheese. It can be as a filling for a ''börek'' that is made with ''kadayıf'' instead of the traditional filo dough.<ref>{{Cite AV media| work = Pelin Karahan'la Nefis Tarifler| title = Pastırmalı Kadayıf Böreği Tarifi| access-date = 2018-07-18| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv9Z4sAOEn8}}</ref> It may be combined with potato to make a filling for traditional ''böreks'' as well.<ref>{{Cite AV media| people = Migros Türkiyeundefined (Director)| title = Patatesli Pastırmalı Rulo Börek| access-date = 2018-07-31 | url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0Oz2OFBuL0}}</ref>

It is also a common addition to many of the traditional vegetable dishes, especially the tomato and white bean stew called {{lang|tr|kuru fasulye}}, but also cabbage ({{lang|tr|pastırmalı lahana}}), chickpeas ({{lang|tr|pastırmalı nohut}}), asparagus ({{lang|tr|pastırmalı kuşkonmaz}})<ref>{{Cite AV media| people = Migros Türkiyeundefined (Director)| title = Pastırmalı Kuşkonmaz Tarifi| access-date = 2018-07-31| time = 119 seconds| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlkiUO2yA_o}}</ref> and spinach ({{lang|tr|pastırmalı ıspanak}}).<ref>{{Cite AV media| work = TV Kayseri| title = Gurme Tarifler-Pastırmalı Ispanaklı Sote| access-date = 2018-07-18| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OYKeAN8Drk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book| publisher = Konya Kültür ve Turizm Vakfı| isbn = 978-975-95525-1-0| last = Halıcı| first = Feyzi| title = Üçüncü Milletlerarası Yemek Kongresi: Türkiye, 7-12 Eylül 1990| date = 1991}}</ref> It can also be used to make cheesy pull-apart bread.<ref>{{Cite AV media| people = Migros Türkiye| title = Pastırmalı Kaşarlı Somun Ekmek Tarifi| access-date = 2018-07-31| time = 99 seconds| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0cUpki0-Nk}}</ref>

==Production== Turkey produces around 2041 tons of pastirma each year.<ref name=birol /> The pastirma from Kayseri is particularly well known. In their 1893 report the British Foreign Office note that Kayseri, which they call Cesarea, "is specially renowned for the preparation of ''basturma'' (pemmican)".<ref>{{Cite book| last = Office| first = Great Britain Foreign| title = Diplomatic and Consular Reports: Annual series| date = 1894| page = 5| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3Eem_vrEfKcC&pg=RA14-PA5| access-date = 2018-07-18| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180728181650/https://books.google.com/books?id=3Eem_vrEfKcC&pg=RA14-PA5| archive-date = 2018-07-28| url-status = live}}</ref>

==See also== {{portal|Food}} * {{annotated link|Biltong}} * {{annotated link|Cecina (meat)|Cecina}} * {{annotated link|Jerky}} * {{annotated link|Montreal-style smoked meat}} * {{annotated link|List of dried foods}} * {{annotated link|Pastrami}}

==References== {{Reflist|2}}

==Bibliography== * Alan Davidson, ''The Oxford Companion to Food''. Oxford University Press, Oxford 1999. {{ISBN|0-19-211579-0}}. * Maria Kaneva-Johnson, ''The Melting Pot. Balkan Food and Cookery'', Prospect Books, 1995. {{ISBN|0-907325-57-2}}. <!-- note that Greek, Bulgarian, Romanian etc. cuisines are subsumed under Balkan, so don't need to be included separately. -->

==External links== * {{commons category-inline}}

{{Armenian cuisine}} {{Bulgarian cuisine}} {{Turkish cuisine}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pastirma}} Category:Lunch meat Category:Raw beef dishes Category:Dried meat

Category:Armenian cuisine Category:Balkan cuisine Category:Byzantine cuisine Category:Egyptian meat dishes Category:Middle Eastern cuisine Category:Ottoman cuisine Category:Turkish cuisine