Basturma vs. Pastrami: What's the Difference?

Walk into any New York deli and you will find pastrami. Walk into an Armenian, Turkish or Balkan market and you will find basturma. The names sound alike, both are spiced beef, and many people assume they are the same thing. They are related, but they are not the same: one is a cooked deli meat served warm, the other is a dry-cured beef you slice thin and eat as is.

Here is how basturma and pastrami differ, where they overlap, and how to serve each one.

The short answer

Basturma is beef that is dry-cured with salt, pressed, coated in a thick spice paste and air-dried for weeks. It is never cooked. You eat it in thin, cold slices, like prosciutto.

Pastrami is beef that is brined, rubbed with black pepper and coriander, smoked, and then steamed or simmered until tender. It is a cooked meat, usually served warm and piled high on rye.

Basturma vs. pastrami at a glance

	Basturma	Pastrami
Cure	Dry-cured with salt and pressed	Wet-cured in a brine
Spices	Thick paste of fenugreek, paprika and garlic (called chaimen or chemen)	Dry rub, mostly black pepper and coriander
Cooking	None: air-dried, eaten cured	Smoked, then steamed or simmered
Cut	Lean whole muscle	Usually brisket or navel, with more fat
Texture	Firm, dense, sliced paper-thin	Soft, juicy, sliced thicker
Served	Cold or at room temperature	Usually warm

How they are made

Basturma: salt, pressure, spice and air

Basturma starts with a lean whole cut of beef. The meat is salted to draw out moisture, then pressed to push out even more. The word itself is usually traced to the Turkish verb bastırmak, "to press."

Next comes the part that makes basturma recognizable: the meat is covered in chaimen, a thick paste built on ground fenugreek, paprika and garlic. Then it hangs to dry for weeks while the spices work into the surface and the beef firms up. The result is dense, deep red, intensely savory, with that unmistakable warm, slightly sweet fenugreek aroma. (For the full story, see What Is Basturma?)

Pastrami: brine, smoke and steam

Pastrami usually starts with a fattier cut such as brisket or navel. It soaks in a seasoned brine for days, gets a heavy coat of cracked black pepper and coriander, and goes into the smoker. Before serving, it is steamed or simmered until the fat melts and the meat turns tender. That is why deli pastrami is juicy and soft, and why it is almost always served hot.

Are basturma and pastrami related?

Very likely, yes. Food historians generally connect the word pastrami to the Romanian pastramă, which in turn is related to the Turkish pastırma, the same family of words as basturma. Pressed and preserved meats traveled across the Ottoman world into the Balkans and Eastern Europe, and immigrants from those regions brought their curing traditions to New York in the late 1800s. Along the way, the method changed to fit the deli: brining instead of pressing, smoking and steaming instead of air-drying.

So pastrami is best understood as a distant American cousin of basturma, not a copy of it.

What do they taste like?

Basturma tastes concentrated and beef-forward, with a spice crust that is earthy, garlicky and gently warm. Because it is lean and dried, each thin slice carries a lot of flavor.

Pastrami tastes peppery, smoky and rich, with a soft, fatty bite. It is comfort food, built for a big sandwich.

How to serve basturma

• On a board. Slice it as thin as you can and serve it with aged cheese, dark bread, olives and a little mustard.
• In a sandwich. Basturma does not need to be piled high. A few thin slices on good bread with butter or cheese go a long way. Our basturma sandwich guide has ideas.
• With eggs. Basturma with fried or scrambled eggs is a classic breakfast in Armenian and Turkish homes. Warm the slices in the pan for a few seconds before the eggs go in.
• With drinks. It pairs well with dry red wine and dark beer.

One tip: take basturma out of the fridge 15 to 20 minutes before serving. The aroma opens up as it comes to room temperature.

Papa Did It basturma

Our Basturma is made in small batches in New York from whole cuts of beef, coated in a traditional spice blend, air-dried and finished over real hickory wood. The hickory adds a light smokiness that brings out the warmth of the spices. It is our own take: traditional basturma is not usually smoked.

Choose the whole piece if you like to slice it yourself, or Sliced Basturma if you want it ready to serve. Basturma is also on Papa's Charcuterie Board, next to Beef Prosciutto, Suho Meso and Turkey Breast.

FAQ

Is basturma the same as pastrami?

No. Basturma is dry-cured and air-dried and is eaten without cooking. Pastrami is brined, smoked and then steamed or simmered, and is usually served warm.

Is basturma raw?

Basturma is not cooked, but it is fully cured. Salt, pressing and weeks of drying make it ready to eat, the same way prosciutto or bresaola is.

Can I use basturma instead of pastrami in a sandwich?

Yes, but use less and slice it thinner. Basturma is much more concentrated in flavor than pastrami.

Is basturma spicy?

It is well spiced rather than hot. Most of the flavor comes from fenugreek, garlic and paprika, with gentle warmth.