While pastrami might have the look, feel, and flavors of a busy New York City lifestyle, it wasn't actually created in the city that never sleeps. In fact, it's said that pastrami wasn't even created in the U.S., period. Although it gained a reputation through delis such as Katz's and through films like When Harry Met Sally, this meat actually has very old-world origins that wouldn't normally be eluded to with its sandwich-style, mustard-filled, pickle-on-the-side presentation. The other end of the pastrami equation sits at its core, which is brisket, and that is actually a Southern staple.

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So, how the heck did New York City, specifically, become associated with this overwhelmingly popular deli meat? It was a long journey and, once again, a surprising one - because New York wasn't even the first state that supposedly had rights to the meat. It's believed that German-Americans were responsible for pastrami's long voyage to its final hotspot of New York, and this is how it was done, going way back to the 1850s.

Pastrami Didn't Originate In The U.S.

During the 1800s, specifically the late 1800s, immigration was a common occurrence as many people from Europe were making their way over to America. However, trade was also ongoing during this time with foods and products being shipped overseas via trade routes. One of these products, according to records from the 1850s, was pastrami - although it was called pastrami back then. Rather, the meat in question came from Romania and was actually referred to as 'pastirma' or 'pastroma,' which was considered to be a 'jerk beef.' This pastirma hailed from Brăila along the Danube River, which was a well-known trade port. Interestingly enough, this pastirma looked and tasted almost nothing like pastrami does today. Rather, it was made with sheep or goat's meat, which was then salted and seasoned with various spices and garlic, before being left in the sun to dry. It was commonly made to last through the long Romanian winters, and some accounts even claim the meat was made with goose.

pastirma
via Shutterstock

The original pastirma, what pastrami is believed to have been derived from, would have been closely related to what we know as bresaola today. This jerky-like meat was never destined for America, though, and it wasn't until pastirma makers came to the country that pastrami was born and widely-received.

The Birth Of The Delicatessen

With the immigration of Eastern-European descendants, the modern-day delicatessen was born. These small markets would carry anything from sausages to cheeses, and many of them were run by those who came from Germany, which led to a rise in the widespread recognition of German foods and cooking methods. As Jewish immigrants came to America from Romania, they would open up delicatessens that were very similar to those of German tradition but also had kosher foods - this is where pastirma was first seen made in the United States. This meat was quickly picked up by distribution lines which is how the meat actually ended up in Texas, which is where its brisket origin hails from.

katz's deli
via Alena Veasey / Shutterstock.com

Many things happened in between pastirma first appearing on the scene in the 1880s and the meat making its way down to Texas prior to 1900. By the early 1900s, the meat had undergone a full revolution - it was no longer left out to dry but brined instead, with curing salts and pepper counting as its two main spices. Back then, it was called 'peppered beef' or 'spiced beef.' It's believed that subbing in brisket over more traditional cuts of meat specific to Germany and Romania is what also allowed the barbecue cuisine in the South to flourish. As brisket became more widely accepted, people began experimenting with methods such as smoking to see how the flavor and texture of the brisket would change.

The Morbid Migration To The Northeast

So, once again, how did pastrami make its way to New York? The answer could lie with a morbid case out of Chicago: when a local Chicago sausage maker, Adolph Louis Luetgert, was found guilty of killing his wife after police found remains at the bottom of a sausage vat, it's said that the production and selling of sausage - which included New York's delicatessen which relied on it - came to a slow halt.

a pastrami sandwich
via Shutterstock

It's surmised that this could be the reason many people turned to pastrami - pastirma - to supplement in the temporary absence of sausage. With the entire nation having their stomachs turned at the thought of sausage after reading the grizzly headline in the national news, it's an interesting consideration and one that actually makes sense.

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