Gyros Souvlaki
Bringing that flavour of Greece to your kitchen.
This flavourful spice is rich, colourful, aromatic and warm with a hint of citrus, perfect for lamb or anything grilled used to season several savoury dishes like meats, vegetables, and dips.
Souvlaki is marinated pork, chicken, beef, or lamb grilled on a skewer. It's typically served on a skewer, but you can also eat it in a warm pita or over salad. Gyros are made with stacked meat (usually pork, but other meats are common) that has been cooked on a vertical rotisserie.
Gyro, pronounced “GHEE-ro” in Greek comes from the Greek word “gheereezo,” which means to turn.
Meat is thinly sliced marinated in a special spice blend and is staked, this can be either lamb, pork, beef, or some combination thereof, with latter-day renditions that include chicken and even fish. The rotating pile of thinly sliced meat, as the stack roasts upright, the layers meld together and the grill person manning the gyro rotisserie cuts off paper-thin slices, which he or she fixes in a pita wrap with tomatoes, raw red onions, parsley or lettuce, Greek yogurt or tzatziki, and sometimes fried potatoes.
Souvlaki’s roots go back to antiquity. The first mention is found in the Iliad where we meet Achilles cooking pieces of meat on the embers.
The souvlaki is first introduced in Ancient Greece, as it was known as “obelisk” (from the word obelos = spit). It appears, among others, in the works of Aristophanes, Xenophon, Aristotle. A simple recipe from small pieces of meat, nailed lengthwise to a skewer with a slice of bread, not far from its current form, especially when we order it as a “kalamaki” with a little bread.
As the Seasoning for these classic Greek street foods can contain a mixture of different spices it typically gives a warm, fresh and robust flavour to the meats, while the citrus and sugar add sweet and sour notes. Adding a rich depth and powerful base flavour to whatever dish it touches.
The Most traditional ways to use Gyros Souvlaki are as a seasoning for meats, like lamb, pork, beef and chicken, vegetables, and fish and to add a burst of flavour to potatoes or add to yoghurt for a an amazing drizzle for your salads
If you're looking to make a great marinade for your lamb, combine 1 tablespoon of Gyros Souvlaki with a few tablespoons of olive oil, a crushed garlic clove, zest of 1 lemon and a pinch of salt - Delicious.
Fry it! Braise it! Smoke it! Roast it! BBQ it! Chef it!
