The words kielbasa and pastrami have an interesting connection! The term kielbasa was adopted in the 1950s from Polish kiełbasa, which meant “sausage”. This is believed to have originated from Turkish kulbasti, which translates to “grilled cutlet” or literally “pressed on the ashes”. On the other hand, pastrami has a different origin, coming from Yiddish pastrame. Through Romanian, this word can be traced back to Turkish basdirma, meaning “dried meat” or “press down”. The common link between these words is the Turkish word bas, which means “to press”. It is interesting to note the cognates kobasica and pastrami in Serbian, showcasing the Turkish influence due to the Ottoman Empire.
