Andrew Lekashman
Htapodi se Pita (Χταπόδι)
Grilled octopus folded into oiled pita with onion, lemon, and oregano: the seaside-taverna meze given to one hand. It rides on the char, and on the tenderizing Greeks have done since antiquity.
Hortopita (Χορτόπιτα)
Wild greens pie; phyllo with foraged greens.
Gyros (Γύρος)
A soft pita brushed with fat and griddled until it blisters, then packed with shaved spit meat, tomato, onion, tzatziki, and a fistful of fries. Greece's everyday street sandwich, eaten standing.
Gyros vs Souvlaki Terminology
In Athens, 'souvlaki' means skewered meat; 'gyros' means the rotisserie cone. In Thessaloniki, EVERYTHING is called 'souvlaki'—even gyros...
Gyros Vegan (Γύρος Vegan)
Vegan gyros; seitan or mushroom-based, modern innovation.
Gyros Thessalonikis
Thessaloniki gyros; called 'souvlaki' locally even though it's rotisserie meat. Often considered the best in Greece. Larger portions, sli...
Gyros Thessalonikis - Apo Ola
Thessaloniki-style with everything; known for generous portions.
Gyros - The Name Debate
Pronounced 'YEE-ros' in Greek (not 'JY-ro'). From the verb γυρίζω (gyrízo, 'to turn'). Similar to Turkish döner and Arabic shawarma but d...
Gyros - Piraeus Style
Piraeus port city style; long tradition of gyradika (gyros shops).
Gyros - Northern Greece Style
Northern Greek style; may include different spices, regional variations.
Gyros Moskhari (Γύρος Μοσχάρι)
Beef gyros; less common in Greece than pork or chicken.
Gyros Miktós (Γύρος Μικτός)
Mixed gyros; combination of pork and chicken from the spit.
Gyros Kotopoulo (Γύρος Κοτόπουλο)
Chicken gyros; increasingly popular, lighter option. Chicken breast and thigh seasoned and stacked on spit.
Gyros Kotopoulo se Pita
Hours before the spit, chicken thigh goes into yogurt, lemon, and oregano, a soak that does chemistry. Shaved hot into oiled griddled pita with tzatziki, tomato, onion, and fries.
Gyros Kotopoulo - Lemon Oregano
Lemon-oregano chicken gyros; common flavor profile.
Gyros - Island Style
Island gyros; may feature local ingredients, sometimes lamb.
Gyros Hirino (Γύρος Χοιρινό)
Pork gyros; the most traditional and popular in Greece. Pork shoulder/leg seasoned with oregano, thyme, garlic, paprika, cumin, stacked o...
Gyros Hirino - Traditional Seasoning
Traditional pork seasoning; oregano, thyme, rosemary, garlic, paprika, cumin, black pepper, olive oil, lemon juice.
Gyros Hirino se Pita (Γύρος Χοιρινό σε Πίτα)
The turning spit was built in a world that could never cook it from pig. Greece took the machine intact and loaded it with pork, then scrubbed the Turkish name off and called it gýros.