Gyros

Gyros, sometimesanglicizedas agyro(/ˈjɪəroʊ,ˈdʒɪər-,ˈdʒaɪr-/;Greek:γύρος,romanized:yíros/gyros,lit.'turn',pronounced[ˈʝiros]) in some regions, ismeatcooked 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 withporkor sometimes withchicken, whilst beef and lamb are also used in other countries.
The name comes from theGreekγύρος(gyros, 'circle' or 'turn'). It is acalqueof theTurkishdöner, fromdönmek, also meaning "turn".
In Greek, "gyros" is anominativesingular noun, but the final 's' is often interpreted in English usage as plural,leading to the singularback-formation"gyro".The standard Greek and English pronunciation is[ˈʝiɾos]. Some English speakerspronounce it/ˈdʒaɪroʊ/, likely because the word is aheteronymof the, only indirectly related, word "gyro".
In Athens and other parts of southern Greece, the skewered meat dish elsewhere calledsouvlakiis known askalamaki, whilesouvlakiis a term used generally for gyros, and similar dishes.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").
Gyros is made in a similar manner to other dishes such as the Arabshawarma, Canadiandonair, Mexicanal pastor, and the Turkishdöner kebab.
Grilling a vertical spit of stacked meat and slicing it off as it cooks was developed inBursain the 19th century in theOttoman Empire. After the1922-23 population exchange between Greece and Turkey, the Greeks brought their variation with them to Greece. FollowingWorld War II, gyros made with lamb (called shawarma) was present in Athens.It was likely introduced by immigrants fromAnatoliaand theMiddle East.The Greek version is normally made with pork and served withtzatziki, and became known as gyros.
By 1970, gyroswrapswere already a popularfast foodin Athens, as well as in Chicago and New York City.At that time, although vertical rotisseries were starting to be mass-produced in the US by Gyros Inc.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.
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.
In Greece, gyros is normally made with pork, though other meats are used in other countries.Chicken is common, and lamb or beef may be found more rarely.Typical American mass-produced gyros are made with finely ground beef mixed with lamb.
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.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.
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.
In Greece, it is customarily served in an oiled, lightly grilled piece of pita, rolled up with sliced tomatoes, chopped onions, lettuce, andfried potatoes, sometimes topped withtzatziki, or, sometimes innorthern Greece, ketchup or mustard.