Street View Street Food
Pastrami on Rye
History
Pastrami on rye is a classic sandwich made famous in
the Jewish kosher delicatessens of New York City. It
was first created in 1888 by Sussman Volk, who served
it at his deli on Delancey Street in New York City. He
opened a small butcher shop on New York’s Lower
East Side. Volk opened a delicatessen at 88 Delancey
Street, one of the first delis in New York City, where he
served the meat on rye bread.
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Culture
The pastrami on rye sandwich has come to be a symbol
of the classic New York Jewish deli, being featured
in delis around the world attempting to recreate the
ambience of the original New York delis, in cities such
as Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, Boca Raton, Florida, and
San Diego, California.The classic, which some consider
to be New York’s signature sandwich, consists simply of
sliced pastrami, placed on rye bread, and topped with
spicy brown mustard. It is usually accompanied by a
Kosher dill pickle on the side.