Food Fact Friday: You're My Gyro

I must have been really hungry last night…because I had a dream that I was in Greece eating a Gyro. Maybe it’s because I’m so psyched, because my Mom, Sister, and I just booked a cruise to the Greek Isles. It’s not until June 2010, but I’m so excited! Here is some history of that food in my dreams…



The Gyro (pronounced Yee-roh) comes from the words "turning roast" in Greek. They are traditionally a type of meat that is cooked and carved from a vertical rotisserie. In Greece, the sandwich that we call a Gyro is called a "Pita Gyro". It is typically made of pork or chicken, and served with tomato, onion, fried potatoes and tzatziki and wrapped with a lightly fried pita. It is unknown when the Gyro was first created, but the oldest surviving cookbook in Greece, dating from the 10th century, does refer to it. Turkish and Arab countries also have their own variation.


Gyros in the United States were first introduced in Chicago area in 1968, and have since spread all over the country. In the U.S. gyros are usually made from sliced lamb, or a combination of lamb & beef. Chicken is a common alternative in many restaurants serving gyros. The most common fillings are generally tomato and onion. The sauce is usually tzatziki, a sauce made with cucumber, yogurt, dill and other spices.

Sounds to Weird to be True: In Canada, instead of tzatziki sauce, they make a sauce from sweetened condensed milk and garlic.