Many foodies love more than just the tasty dish or treat that’s set before them. You’ll find many that love the stories behind the foods they love and enjoy. Street dishes often have certain mysteries associated with them. The Gyro is a favorite Greek street dish that so many Americans have come to love. The combination of pita wrap, filled with well-seasoned meat and topped with yogurt sauce called tzatziki. Just in case you are curious, here are some interesting facts about Gyros. Head to Greco Boston for delicious, authentic Gyros!
Gyro is Commonly Mispronounced
The pronunciation and spelling of Gyro are different, which is to say that it’s not pronounced as it’s spelled. Common mispronunciations include “gee-ros”, “jee-ros,” and “jai-ros”. The correct pronunciation is “Yeh-ro.” Can’t see the connection? The “g” is silent. “Yeh” is the pronunciation of the Greek letter “gamma” in the Greek language.
Gyro Means “To Turn”
The literal meaning of the term Gyro is “to turn” or “revolution”, with origin in the Greek word “gheereezo”. It refers to how the meat is cooked. This is because of how the meat is cooked, which you will learn in the next entry.
Gyros are Cooked Vertically in a Rotisserie Grill
Chicken and pork are the two main meat kinds used in a Gyro and cooked upright in a rotisserie grill. Picture a vertical spit of stacked thin meat slices being simmered, and the meat shaved off strips of the meat with each serving. It can take roughly an hour for the meat to cook.
Gyro is Rooted in a Rich Cooking History
The origin of grilling meats on a skewer can be traced to the Eastern Mediterranean in the Mycenean Greek and Minoan periods. The Gyro (the technique of vertical spit of stacked meat slices and cutting it off while cooking)first arrived in Greece in the 1920s, brought from Constantinople and Smyrna by refugees.
Gyro Was Introduced in America in 1965
The Gyro was first introduced to Americans in 1965 by George Apostolou in the Parkview Restaurant located in Chicago, Illinois. The dish quickly got popular, and the demand resulted in other restaurants offering gyros as an alternative to hamburgers.
Largest Gyro was Made in Cyprus
A Lebanese Cypriot restaurateur, Sami EId, who resides in Limassol, Cyprus, made an 8,866 pounds Gyro. This was a world-record-setting gyro- the largest ever created. He achieved this feat using more than 70 grills and two tons of natural gas.
Americans Consume Millions of Gyros Yearly
Michael Austin, CEO of the world’s largest gyro manufacturer, Kronos Foods, claims that Americans eat over 300,000 of their gyros daily. That amounts to more than a million annually.
Visit Greco Boston for Gyros
The Gyro is an incredible food option that is known for its unforgettable taste, which is why you should visit Greco Boston. We offer the best gyros around that will leave you wanting more after your first one. Come in and place your order and grab a bite of your favorite Greek food. Or, you can place your order online! We look forward to serving you at Greco Boston.
