Forget burgers, pizza, fries! In Greece,
street food is all about me: gyros. I'm made from a stack of seasoned pork or
chicken grilled vertically, sliced off in juicy chunks and served inside fluffy pita bread.
I'm going to tell you how people enjoy me and why I'm Greece's most popular
souvlaki – grilled meat street food. By the way my name is pronounced "yeeros", not: I'm just one type of souvlaki in Greece. Souvlaki is cooked meat on a skewer or a spit. Food journalist Marina Petridou has
written a book on Athenian souvlaki, so, she knows what she's talking about. Other popular kinds of souvlaki are: Kalamaki, which is chicken or pork sliced in
cubes and grilled horizontally on a skewer. And Kebab, which is minced
meat grilled on a skewer! It can definitely get confusing
because, in Athens, when people say "let's go for a souvlaki", they could
be referring to kalamaki, gyros or kebab. I still think I'm the most popular — just
ask anyone why they like gyros so much. Because it's tastier than the
others, especially than kalamaki, but it has a little bit more fat.
Athens is the birthplace of democracy, and what’s more democratic than a meal everyone
can afford? I typically cost only a few euros. Greeks love souvlaki — you could
say it really unites Greek society. If you are bored to cook, souvlaki is a solution.
So, I think it brings people together. Yeah. We all grew up eating souvlaki.
It's so tasty that it's hard to forget. Is it true? We think it's pretty good, like the taste. One of the most popular places to find me
- traditional pita gyros - is at Achilleas in the Athenian
neighborhood of Neos Kosmos. I've been served here handmade since the
original owner, Achilleas, opened 30 years ago. Marinos Martopoulos is one
of the three-person team who now runs the shop. As you can see, he’s always busy making
sure everyone gets exactly what they want. My fresh ingredients are one of the
secrets to success at Achilleas. That means… There's a whole debate about putting
potatoes in gyros, but more on that later. This also keeps the opening hours simple: But let’s ask some Greeks when they think
the best time of day to eat souvlaki is. For lunch, for example, but it's also
really good for after a night out. I think the best time for souvlaki is anytime
during the day. Even for breakfast. Yeah, not early breakfast, but… People have been eating me for centuries.
My roots are ancient. The concept of souvlaki is mentioned
in the 8th century BCE by the poet Homer who describes the roasting of meat
on spits in his epic poem, the "Iliad." Stone tools similar to modern-day
barbecue skewers were found on the island of Santorini,
dating back to the 17th century BCE. I, pita gyros, was brought to Greece from Asia
Minor, present-day Turkey. More than a million people fled to Greece as refugees after the
Greco-Turkish war in 1922, bringing me with them. These days, everyone has their
own preferred way of eating me. In Greek we say "ap'ola" which means with
everything. So, it's like the typical recipe where we have the meat, tomato,
onion, tzatziki sauce and maybe fries. One thing everyone agrees on: I’m
a full meal in a small package. There is pita, there is baked meat, some vegetables, and you get all
the flavors in every single bite. There are lots of debates about what to put on
me. For example - should I be eaten with tzatziki, a creamy cucumber yoghurt garlic sauce, or not? Some souvlaki chefs say that
if you put tzatziki in the souvlaki, you miss the real taste
of the meat. So yeah. Usually, I don't put the tzatziki
because I can't have the taste of the meat when I have tzatziki on it. And what about French fries?
Should souvlaki be served with or without fries? So, the potatoes absorb the juiciness of
the souvlaki, and it's going to become dry.
I like French fries very much, so I like them. It's not the typical. It's a postmodern thing in
souvlaki, I would say, a postmodern addition. If you like them, yeah why not? You can eat whatever you want. We also
have like vegan souvlakis nowadays. There's one place that serves vegan gyros out
of mushrooms. And it's quite tasty. I like it. So, are you ready to give me
a taste? See you in Greece!
