A type of deli meat made from beef brisket that is cured, spiced with garlic and other seasonings, and steamed; popular in Jewish and New York deli cuisine.
From Romanian 'pastrama,' which came from Turkish 'pastırma' (cured meat). The word traveled along trade routes and was brought to America by Romanian and Jewish immigrants in the 1800s-1900s.
Pastrami sandwiches from New York delis became an icon of American-Jewish culture, and the famous 'Harry Met Sally' restaurant scene is set at Katz's Delicatessen where pastrami is still the star—showing how immigrant food became deeply American!
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