Pastrami is a
popular deli meat made from beef (a form of
corned beef). The uncooked meat is pickled
in a brine solution, then smoked and
typically encrusted with peppercorns.
Pastrami is commonly eaten sliced as part of
a sandwich.
As with corned beef, pastrami was created as
a method for preserving meat from spoilage
in an age before modern refrigeration
methods. This technique is now unnecessary,
but its unique flavor still attracts many
aficionados worldwide.
The etymology is from Romanian Pastramă,
probably from the verb "a păstra" (to
preserve, to keep), being brought to the
English language via Yiddish. The English
ending "-mi" was influenced by salami.
Another theory asserts that it is a variant
of Turkish pastirma, or basturma, which is a
middle eastern smoked meat, usually made of
camel or cow meat. |
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