Souvlaki or Gyros: I Won't Make That Mistake Again

Souvlaki or Gyros: IWon’t Make That Mistake Again

April 12, 2022 / By Greg Henry

Souvlaki or gyros? All Ican say is Iwon’t make that mistake again. I’m in Athens, Greece and one of the things on my to-do list is to find authentic Athenian street food experiences. Well, on my first excursion Igot more than Ibargained for. Iwas walking in the Plaka and came across astreet vendor grilling skewers of meat which he then wrapped in thick rounds of pita bread. It’s apresentation I’ve been familiar with since the 1970s when my family would order GIE-rows at the local Greek restaurant, Athenian Garden.

Today Iknow enough not to call this Greek classic GIE-rows so Igot in line to show off my pronunciation of “two gyros please”. According to my time on Duolingo the phrase goes something like “δύο γυροσ παρακαλώ” or more phonetically, “DEE‑o YEE-ros para-ka-LO”. Once Igot to the front of the line Iconfidently placed my order only to be told no pita gyros only pita souvlaki. Icould see by the twinkle in the street vendors eye that Iwas not the first tourist to make this mistake. He seemed happy to school me on the subject of souvlaki or gyros while never losing abeat in the rhythm of his grilling.

Souvlaki orGyros

Meat dressed with tzatziki, garnished with tomatoes and onion, then served with grilled pita. That’s gyros, right? Well, yes and no. It seems souvlaki is actually meat cooked on astick dressed with tzatziki, garnished with tomatoes and onion, then served with grilled pita. But gyros is meat cooked on avertical spit dressed with tzatziki, garnished with tomatoes and onion, then served with grilled pita. Can you spot the difference? It’s the cooking method. Souvlaki is made with pieces of grilled meat often skewered on astick, while agyros consists of slices of meat shaved from avertical rotisserie.

But it can also be the size and presentation. There’s adifference when it comes to “pita souvlaki or pita gyros” and “merida souvlaki or merida gyros”. One is wrap. The other aplatter. But Ithink I’ll need another lesson from my street vendor to master that subtlety. GREG