A Taste of Greece

Many people hear the ancient stories of Greek Gods such as Zeus, Athena, and Hercules. What most people don’t realize is there is much more to Greece than these tales of the Gods. Greece was by far one of the most beautiful and serene places I visited while studying abroad. The people are friendly, the music is good and the food is out of this world!

The taste of Greece I am going to share with you is none other than their famous Gyros. A Gyros is one of Greece most popular dishes and served as a sandwich. The main ingredient in this dish is pork cooked on a vertical rotisserie and shaved by layer as it turns brown. The name Gyros (in the English language pronounced year-o) comes from the Greek word “turn” but stems from the Turkish word Doner Kebab which means “turning roast”.


How is it served?
In Greece the Gyros is served as a pita bread sandwich. The pita bread is split open and stuffed with roasted pork, tomatoes, onion, fried potatoes, and their absolutely scrumptious Tzatziki sauce. In some locations you may find a Gyros served with chicken or veal, but is nowhere near as tasty as the original recipe using pork.

What is Tzatziki sauce?
I have to start off saying Tzatziki sauce is to die for. It makes your taste buds dance around with excitement!

Typical Tzatziki sauce is made of strained yoghurt from sheep or goat’s milk combined with cucumbers, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper, and sometimes lemon juice. The cucumber and garlic have a strong taste in the sauce but is a white color from the yoghurt. This sauce is mainly used on Gyros and another Greek dish called Souvlaki which is cooked meat or vegetables on a skewer.

How do I get it?
In the United States Gyros first came about in Chicago. They can now be found in mostly all Greek restaurants and diners across the country.


If I could hop on a plane and fly back to Greece I would in a heartbeat. This is definitely a country to visit if you’re looking to relax and take a load off. In the mean time, take a trip to your local Greek restaurant or diner and dig into a Gyros. You’ll be begging to go to Greece by the time you’re finished!