Souvlaki vs. Gyro

Souvlaki

Souvlaki (Greek: σουβλάκι [suˈvlaci]), plural souvlakia, is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It is usually eaten straight off the skewer while still hot. It can be served with pita bread, fried potatoes, lemon, and sauces, but the souvlaki itself is eaten on its own, with the side dishes eaten subsequently. The meat usually used in Greece and Cyprus is pork, although chicken, beef, and lamb may also be used. In other countries (and for tourists), souvlaki may be made with meats such as lamb, beef, chicken, and sometimes fish.

The word souvlaki is a diminutive of the Medieval Greek σούβλα souvla ‘skewer’, itself borrowed from Latin subula. ‘Souvlaki’ is the common term in Hellenic Macedonia and other regions of northern Greece, while in southern Greece around Athens it is commonly known as ‘kalamaki’, ‘reed’.