Gyros are a Greek dish made of meat that is cooked on a vertical rotisserie. It is usually served in a pita. This delicious dish has gotten more popular in recent years. Despite all the hype, people are still debating how to pronounce the name correctly. This blog post aims to set the record straight and help you learn how to pronounce gyros properly.
How Do You Pronounce Gyros? A Quick Guide to Help You
Before we delve into how to properly pronounce the word, we have to discuss why there is confusion in the first place. The Greek words “γύρος” and “γύρω” mean “turn” and “around,” respectively. If you think that’s where the confusion begins, you’re right! The pronunciation of “γυρος” is hard for English speakers to say because the “y” sound doesn’t exist in English. When English speakers try to pronounce the word “γυρος,” they tend to pronounce it as “yroh” instead of “yee-rows.”
It doesn’t help that the spelling of the word looks similar to the English word “gyrosphere,” so many people tend to pronounce it as “jie-rows.”
How To Pronounce Gyros Correctly
Pronouncing “gyros” is difficult enough, but it gets worse when you try to pronounce the name of the food. Some people pronounce it as “hi-roh,” others say “gee-row,” but the correct way to pronounce it is “ye-roh” or “ye-row,” using the English “y” sound.
An alternative way to pronounce gyros is to pronounce the word “yee-roh.” It is not an incorrect way of saying the word, but it does not have the same pronunciation as the Greek pronunciation.
What to Serve with Gyros
1 – Greek Salad
A Greek salad is a delicious way to add some freshness to your gyros. Greek salad is made of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, oregano, feta cheese, and Greek dressing. You can enjoy this traditional Greek dish with a delicious gyros pita!
2 – Calamari
Calamari is a traditional Greek dish that is served with lemon juice, olive oil, and some spices. It makes for great finger food and pairs very well with gyros. A gyros pita is usually served with tzatziki sauce. If you combine the two, you get the BEST gyros sandwich you have ever tasted!
3 – Tzatziki
The tzatziki sauce is a white sauce made with yogurt, garlic, cucumber, and dill. This sauce is wonderful, but it is even better when paired with a gyros pita. This is one of the main reasons why gyros are so delicious!
4 – Potato Wedges
Potato wedges are a popular side dish for gyros. If you’re looking for a side dish to go along with your gyro pita, potato wedges are a perfect choice.
5 – Souvlaki
Souvlaki is a traditional Greek dish that is also made with meat that is cooked on a vertical rotisserie and served in a pita. Souvlaki is often served with tzatziki sauce, and gyros are often served with tzatziki sauce. You can think of this as a gyro vs. souvlaki battle. Both of these dishes are delicious, but they are different in texture and ingredients.
Conclusion
Now that you know how to pronounce gyros and what to serve with gyros, you can go ahead and order it at your favorite Greek restaurant and enjoy every last bite.
If you are craving gyros, burgers, and more, dine at George’s Gyros Spot. We are located in Chesterton, Indiana. We serve Chicago dogs, Italian beef, gyros, polish dogs, and cheeseburgers. Our restaurant is affordable, and we serve all our food quickly with exceptional service. Our restaurant offers a drive-thru for people on the go: call in and pick up at the drive-thru, or drive-thru, dine-in, call ahead, carry out!