If you’re craving for gyros to the point that you want to taste it in the very land it came from, then you should begin planning for your trip to Athens, Greece, where the famous dish originated! It was found back in the 1900s and became a popular meal come the 1960s.
A standard gyro can be in the form of a sandwich or wrapped in pita bread to cater to any customer’s preference. Keep reading below to find out how one can handle a brief encounter with gyros, regardless if you’re in Greece or right here in the US.
Ordering Gyros in Greece
Before you get yourself some mouthwatering gyros at a gyro spot near you, it’s essential to learn how to pronounce it correctly. Contrary to how most people say it at present, you actually pronounce it as “yee-ro”—so when you order a sandwich, you can say it confidently!
In Greece, you can find these delectable dishes in quaint shops within plenty of the country’s capital cities. They can be eaten to-go or dine-in at restaurants, depending on your liking. But if you purchase a gyro at famous pita shops, you will have to pay an additional fee if you decide to stay and eat it there!
You can usually get a gyro sandwich in two options—the first method involves slicing it from a cone of ground meat that’s usually a mixture of lamb and beef. It is shaped into a cylinder and is cooked by revolving it on a vertical spit until the outer surface becomes crispy enough to consider it done.
The other option includes putting together previously cooked slices of pork into the cylindrical shape that undergoes the exact process as the first method until its outer layer becomes just as crispy. The two ways to cook gyros are presented using pita bread, a well-known bread originating from the Middle East.
You can find several places in Greece offering gyros with fries in them for added flavor. The sandwiches are typically covered in waxy paper to keep it together and avoid spilling all of its contents, like its unique sauces and juices, while you’re busy enjoying each bite of your food.
A Brief History of Gyros
During the 19th century and the reign of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks in Bursa were the first people to discover the method of vertically grilling the meat used in gyro sandwiches. They applied the technique to cook lamb, which is better known now as doner kebabs.
It was only when World War II ended, and the Middle Easterners immigrated to Athens, that they could introduce the food to a different part of the world. From there, chefs were intrigued that they started to come up with their own version of the sandwich and proceeded to throw in different vegetables to the recipe. The final product came to be more recognized as gyros.
Fast forward to two decades later, gyro places have popped up across the cities of Chicago and New York in the United States. But it’s only during the middle of the 1970s that the reputation of gyros in America boomed due to the opening of the first gyro meat-mass manufacturing plant in Minnesota, which was spearheaded by John Garlic. After some time, he decided to sell his company to Gyros, Inc., found in Chicago!
Conclusion
At present, gyros remain popular, and you can still find them in gyro menus of countless Greek restaurants worldwide. If you’re lucky, you can even spot a classic street cart style restaurant in America that serves gyros in the way people from way back knew how to find them. When you find yourself in Indiana, and you’re craving for food in Chesterton, you can expect to find restaurants offering delicious gyros that will surely satisfy your cravings!
Are you looking to order food at gyro places around you? George’s Gyros Spot is a famous restaurant best known for serving Chicago dogs, Italian beef, gyros, Polish dogs, and cheeseburgers at an affordable price. We cater to drive-thru, pick-up, and dine-in options. Check out our menu online and start ordering today!