Pastırma is one of Turkey's best-known cured meats, and Kayseri in central Anatolia is the city most closely associated with it. In the traditional Kayseri method, beef is salted, pressed and air-dried, and is usually finished with a spiced çemen coating. This Best Farm pack is labelled Kayseri Pastırması and comes already sliced and ready to eat in a 100 g tray; according to the label it is produced in Bulgaria, and the pack carries a halal logo.
Pastırma has a deep, savoury, strongly seasoned flavour, so a little goes a long way. At breakfast it is classically warmed for a moment in a pan and cooked with fried or scrambled eggs (pastırmalı yumurta), or pressed into a toasted sandwich with kaşar. It also appears in pastırmalı börek, in pide, on a meze plate with melon or pickles, and diced into white-bean dishes. A short pan-fry releases the aroma; eaten cold, the slices are firmer and more intense.
Keep the pack refrigerated at 0–4 °C, as the label advises, keep it sealed between uses and eat it within the date shown. Different pack versions of this product carry different ingredient lists, so please read the label on the pack you receive for ingredients, allergens and nutrition values.