Pastırma

Pastırma or bastırma is a highly seasoned, air-dried cured beef in the cuisines of the former Ottoman countries.

Etymology

The name "pastırma" is Turkish, from "pastırma et" 'pressed meat'. [TDK dictionary] The word is used with minor variants in the various languages of the region: Albanian "pastërma", Arabic باسطرمة "basṭurma", Armenian "պաստուրմա" ("basturma"), Azeri "bastırma", Bosnian, Croatian, Macedonian and Serbian "pastrma", Bulgarian "пастърма", Greek παστουρμάς "pastourmás" or παστρουμάς "pastroumás" and Romanian "pastramă". The word "pastrami", although used for a differently prepared type of meat, also goes back via Yiddish "pastrómeh" to "pastırma".

History

Wind-dried beef has been made in this region for centuries. Pastırma itself is usually considered Turkish, though it is produced and consumed in a wide area of Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Andrew Dalby also mentions its use in Byzantium. [Andrew Dalby, "Siren Feasts" as cited in "Regional Cuisines of Medieval Europe: A Book of Essays", Melitta Weiss Adamson, p. 11]

One legend recounts that Turkic horsemen of Central Asia used to preserve meat by placing slabs of it in the pockets on the sides of their saddles, where it would be pressed by their legs as they rode. [ [http://www.turkishculture.org/pages.php?ChildID=306&ParentID=11&ID=49&ChildID1=306 TurkishCulture.org - Pastırma] ]

Usage

Though beef is the most common meat today, various meats are also used, including camel, lamb, goat, and water buffalo. [Kaneva-Johnson, p. 62]

It is prepared by pressing the meat to squeeze out its water, then covering it with a cumin paste called "çemen" (lit. 'fenugreek') prepared with crushed cumin, fenugreek, garlic, and hot paprika, and air-drying it.

The Lebanese-Armenians introduced pastirma to Lebanese cuisine, and it is usually served as a mezze in thin slices, usually uncooked, but sometimes lightly grilled. It may be added to different dishes, the most famous of which is a bean dish.

In Turkey the spiced version, often called "Kayseri pastırması", is most common. The less-common "Rumeli Pastırması" 'Balkan pastırma', is simply salted. The spiced variety, when consumed in more than minuscule quantities, imparts its spicy scent to breath and body fluids (sweat, urine) for several hours after consumption.

ee also

* Pastrami
* Jerky
* Biltong

References

Bibliography

* Alan Davidson, "The Oxford Companion to Food". ISBN 0-19-211579-0.
* Maria Kaneva-Johnson, "The Melting Pot: Balkan Food and Cookery", Prospect, 1995. ISBN 0-907325-57-2.