Kastamonu Pastırma

Kastamonu pastırma is a traditional meat product specific to the province of Kastamonu. The production process involves making deep incisions (shaklama) into boneless back meat, salting it with rock salt, pressing it after resting, washing it, drying it in the sun, and then coating it with a special paste containing the geographical indication-registered Taşköprü garlic. This product is typically produced between September and April and is distinguished by its unique flavor and texture. It was officially registered by the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office on 29.03.2021.

Product Characteristics

The distinctive structure of Kastamonu pastırma is determined by the selection of raw materials, production method, and final product qualities.

Raw Materials

• The meat used in production comes from cattle aged 2 to 2.5 years, raised on the pastures of Kastamonu.
• Animals are fed in feedlots for 3 to 6 months before slaughter, with the final 1 to 2 months consisting of a diet of wheat, barley, and corn.
• The most valuable cuts—back, counterfilet, tenderloin, and entrecote—from animals weighing 600 to 800 kg at slaughter are preferred.
• The highest quality variety, known as kuşgömü, is made from tenderloin and is distinguished by its lack of sinews. The leaner variety made from counterfilet is generally called back pastırma. The variety made from entrecote is fattier and has a softer texture.
• The paste used in pastırma contains Taşköprü garlic, registered with geographical indication, due to its high content of sulfuric volatile oils that impart aromatic properties.

Final Product Qualities

• It has a medium saltiness, a slight acidity, and a pronounced garlic aroma.
• Due to sun-drying and the simultaneous drying of inner and outer layers caused by temperature variation, it has a firm but not hard texture.
• During manual slicing, the average slice thickness is 0.750±0.147 mm.
• The slice surface color ranges from light brown to brick-red brown, while the fat color varies from white to ecru and yellowish-white.
• Sensory texture characteristics include medium chewiness, medium fibrousness, moisture, and a compact structure with slight to moderate elasticity.
• Chemical composition: moisture content ranges from 45.41% to 50.04%, protein content from 25.97% to 36.91%, and salt content in dry matter from 7.32% to 13.57%. The pH value ranges from 5.40 to 6.07.

Production Method

The production of Kastamonu pastırma follows traditional stages:

• Deep incisions (shaklama or scoring) are made into the boneless back meat of cattle.
• The scored meat is heavily salted with rock salt, stacked, and left to rest for three days, during which most of the moisture is removed.
• The meat, having lost much of its moisture, is washed and then sun-dried for approximately 30 days in open, shaded areas exposed to the breeze from Ilgaz Mountain under healthy conditions.
• The dried meat is coated with a paste made from paste flour, water, red pepper powder, cumin, salt, and Taşköprü garlic.

Paste Composition

1. 60% water
2. 30% Buy herb seed flour (paste flour)
3. 8% Taşköprü garlic
4. 1% red pepper
5. 0.5% cumin
6. 0.5% salt

• The crushed Taşköprü garlic is added to a mixture of red pepper, water, salt, and cumin. Then, Buy herb seed flour is incorporated to achieve the desired consistency.
• The prepared paste is applied evenly and homogeneously over the entire surface of the dried meat, at a rate of 10% to 15% of the meat’s weight.
• After coating, the pastırma is returned to the shaded drying area and left to rest for 2 to 3 days in a paste chamber until ready for consumption.
• Ready-to-eat Kastamonu pastırma is thinly sliced by hand using a sharp knife.

Geographical Boundary

The geographical boundary of Kastamonu pastırma is limited to the province of Kastamonu. Since the distinctive features of the product—meat selection and preparation, traditional drying using the Ilgaz Mountain breeze, use of the geographical indication-registered Taşköprü garlic in the paste, and manual thin slicing of the block—require specialized craftsmanship, all stages of production must be carried out within this geographical boundary.

Monitoring

Monitoring of the product is conducted at least once annually by a monitoring body of at least four members coordinated by the Kastamonu Chamber of Tradesmen and Artisans. Additional inspections may be carried out in the event of complaints.

Monitoring Body Members

• Kastamonu Chamber of Tradesmen and Artisans
• Kastamonu Provincial Directorate of Agriculture and Forestry
• Kastamonu Municipality
• Kastamonu University
• Kastamonu Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Monitoring Criteria

• Control of raw materials (verification through slaughterhouse reports and invoices that the meat comes from Kastamonu-fed cattle).
• Compliance of production techniques and product characteristics with Kastamonu pastırma standards.
• Use of rock salt during the salting process.
• Use of geographical indication-registered Taşköprü garlic in paste preparation.
• Verification that the final product is manually sliced to sufficient thinness at the point of sale.

During inspections, samples are collected by the monitoring body, and inspection reports are submitted to the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office within the timeframes specified by applicable regulations.