pastrami

Where does the word "pastrami" come from? It comes from Turkish basdirma / pastirma, passing through Romanian and Yiddish before entering English (1916).

Pastrami’s story begins in Turkish: basdirma / pastirma meant “pressed, cured meat.” From a root meaning "to press," describing pressed, cured meat. By 1800s, the word had taken hold in Romanian as pastrama. Adopted the dish through Ottoman-influenced Balkan cuisine. From there it passed into Yiddish as pastrame by 1800s. Carried by Romanian Jewish immigrants to new communities. It reached English by 1916 as pastrami. The spelling shifted to end in "-mi," likely influenced by "salami," in New York delicatessens. Today, pastrami means a seasoned, smoked, and steamed cut of beef, typically sliced thin for sandwiches.

1. Stage 1 · Turkish · medieval basdirma / pastirma "pressed, cured meat", from a root meaning "to press," describing pressed, cured meat.
2. Stage 2 · Romanian · 1800s pastrama "cured, spiced meat", adopted the dish through Ottoman-influenced Balkan cuisine.
3. Stage 3 · Yiddish · 1800s pastrame "spiced smoked beef", carried by Romanian Jewish immigrants to new communities.
4. Stage 4 · English · 1916 pastrami "seasoned smoked beef", the spelling shifted to end in "-mi," likely influenced by "salami," in New York delicatessens.