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.
Andrew Lekashman
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.
Gyros Hirino Merida (Γύρος Χοιρινό Μερίδα)
Pork gyros plate; served on plate with pita, fries, salad, tzatziki on the side.