Pastirma or Pastrami, one of the most special meat items of Turkish cuisine, is a type of meat that is cured and dried for 1 month with various spices making the meat sit under big weights during the process. That is where the name comes from. Turkish word "bastırma" means to press down referring to the long period meat spends under big weights during its curing process. History of this meat dates back to over 2500 years. Central Asia’s Hun Empire has left documents mentioning the warriors consuming pastirma during their long horseback rides. City of Kayseri in Turkey (its ancient name is Caesarea) is renowned with its super delicious pastirma recipes.
This completely halal food is coated and cured with a thick spicy paste called "cemen" made with cumin, ground fenugreek, garlic and red pepper. The locals make their pastirma during fall to prepare for winter. Many Turks visiting our walk-in Turkish store in Etobicoke Pristine Fine Foods told us that our store brand pastirma produced in Toronto tastes better than pastirma produced in Turkey. Importing meat products from Turkey is still forbidden in Canada so please do not waste time looking for it.
How to Eat Pastirma
It is consumed as is just like bresaola or rose beef, or in a sandwich, or wrapped around melon pieces or goat cheese filled dates. You can also turn it butter over the store for a minute or so then consume as is dipping your bread into its juice, or break an egg on top of it. You can add it to your bean stew. If you serve it in the Turkish breakfast you throw to impress your friends, pastirma will be the star of the meal. You can stick inside your pastries along with cheese or bury it inside the dough when you are baking Turkish bread or flat bread (pide, bazlama)
Our Toronto Turkish store Pristine Fine Foods carries only halal pastirma with a few different recipes and our store brand ranks number one so far. Click to order either 200g slices or 1kg whole piece options. Once you taste pastirma you will have on problem, deciding what you like most pastirma or sujuk, we feel sorry for you.
Buy Pastirma from Turkishmart.ca
You can now order online this Turkish cured meat, adored by the whole world. Don’t forget to order your Free Range Eggs, Village Butter and Kashar Cheese with it. The other favourite Turkish breakfast items are simit, tulum cheese, feta cheese, cured black olives, green olives, fresh sliced cucumber, fresh sliced tomato drizzled with olive oil sprinkled oregano on top, pogaca which is another divine Turkish item you can find in our store, kaymak, acma, Turkish black tea, sour cherry jam, strawberry jam, apricot jam, rose petals jam.
