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| Alternative names | Gyro[1] |
|---|---|
| Type | Meatwrap |
| Course | Main course |
| Place of origin | Greece |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Pita bread,pork,fried potatoes, lettuce, tomato, onions,tzatziki oryogurt |
| Variations | Chicken,ground beef, orlamb instead of pork |
Gyros, sometimesanglicized as agyro[2][3][4] (/ˈjɪəroʊ,ˈdʒɪər-,ˈdʒaɪr-/;Greek:γύρος,romanized: gýros/yíros,lit. 'turn',pronounced[ˈʝiros]), ismeat cooked on a verticalrotisserie, then sliced and served wrapped or stuffed inpita bread, along with other ingredients such astomato,onion,fried potatoes, andtzatziki. In Greece, it is normally made withpork[5] or sometimes withchicken, whilstground beef andlamb are also used in other countries.[6][7]
The name comes from theGreekγύρος (gýros,'circle' or'turn'). It is acalque of theTurkishdöner, fromdönmek, also meaning'turn'.[8]
In Greek, "gyros" is anominative singular noun, but the final 's' is often interpreted in English usage as plural,[9] leading to the singularback-formation "gyro".[10] The standard Greek and English pronunciation is[ˈʝiɾos]. Some English speakers pronounce it/ˈdʒaɪroʊ/, because the word is aheteronym of the related word "gyro".[11]
In Athens and other parts of southern Greece, the skewered meat dish elsewhere calledsouvlaki is known askalamaki, whilesouvlaki is a term used generally for gyros, and similar dishes.[12] In other regions, for example inThessaloniki,gyros only refers to the meat on the spit, and what English speakers refer to as a "gyros wrap" is called a'sandwich' (σάντουιτς).[13]
Gyros is made in a manner similar to other dishes such as the Arabshawarma, Canadiandonair, Mexicanal pastor, and the Turkishdöner kebab.[14]
Grilling a verticalspit of stacked meat and slicing it off as it cooks was developed in the city ofBursa[15] during the 19th century in theOttoman Empire. After the1922–23 population exchange between Greece and Turkey, theGreeks of Asia Minor brought their variation with them to Greece. FollowingWorld War II, gyros made with lamb was present in Athens.[16][15] It was likely introduced by immigrants fromAnatolia and theMiddle East.[5][17] The Greek version is normally made with pork and served withtzatziki, and became known as gyros.[18][19]
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By 1970, gyroswraps were already a popularfast food in Athens, as well as in Chicago and New York City.[20][21][7] At that time, although vertical rotisseries were starting to be mass-produced in the US by Gyros Inc.[20] of Chicago, the stacks of meat were still hand-made. There are several claimants to have introduced the first mass-produced gyros to the United States, all based in the Chicago area in the early 1970s, and of Greek descent. One of them, Peter Parthenis, has said that the mass-produced gyro was first conceptualized by John and Margaret Garlic; John Garlic was a Jewish car salesman who later ran a restaurant featuring live dolphins.[7]
The Halifax donair in Canada which was based on the Greek gyros was invented in the 1970s by Peter Gamoulakos. Originally from Greece, he started selling Greek gyros (a pita stuffed with grilled lamb and tzatziki) from his restaurant located off the Bedford Highway.[22]
In Greece, gyros is normally made with pork, though other meats are used in other countries.[18] Chicken is common, and lamb or beef may be found more rarely.[citation needed] Typical American mass-produced gyros are made with finely ground beef mixed with lamb.[7]
For hand-made gyros, meat is cut into approximately round, thin, flat slices, which are then stacked on a spit and seasoned. Fat trimmings are usually interspersed. Spices may includecumin,oregano,thyme,rosemary, and others.[citation needed] The pieces of meat, in the shape of an inverted cone, are placed on a tall verticalrotisserie, which turns slowly in front of a source of heat orbroiler. As the cone cooks, lower parts are basted with the juices running off the upper parts. The outside of the meat is sliced vertically in thin, crisp shavings when done.[18][23]
The rate of roasting can be adjusted by varying the intensity of the heat, the distance between the heat and the meat, and the speed of spit rotation, thus allowing the cook to adjust for varying rates of consumption.[citation needed]
In Greece, it is customarily served in an oiled, lightly grilled piece of pita, rolled up with sliced tomatoes, chopped onions, andfried potatoes, sometimes topped withtzatziki, or, sometimes innorthern Greece, ketchup or mustard.[24][25][26]
The dictionary definition ofgyros at Wiktionary| Foods |
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