What makes Gyros Greece’s Most Popular Street Food

Forget burgers, pizza, fries! In Greece, street food is all about me: gyros.

I'm made from a stack of seasoned pork or chicken grilled vertically, sliced off in juicy

chunks and served inside fluffy pita bread. I'm going to tell you how people enjoy me

and why I'm Greece's most popular souvlaki – grilled meat street food.

By the way my name is pronounced "yeeros", not:

I'm just one type of souvlaki in Greece.

Souvlaki is cooked meat on a skewer or a spit.

Food journalist Marina Petridou has written a book on Athenian souvlaki,

so, she knows what she's talking about.

Other popular kinds of souvlaki are:

Kalamaki, which is chicken or pork sliced in cubes and grilled horizontally on a skewer.

And Kebab, which is minced meat grilled on a skewer!

It can definitely get confusing because, in Athens, when people

say "let's go for a souvlaki", they could be referring to kalamaki, gyros or kebab.

I still think I'm the most popular — just ask anyone why they like gyros so much.

Because it's tastier than the others, especially than kalamaki,

but it has a little bit more fat.

Athens is the birthplace of democracy,

and what’s more democratic than a meal everyone can afford? I typically cost only a few euros.

Greeks love souvlaki — you could say it really unites Greek society.

If you are bored to cook, souvlaki is a solution. So, I think it brings people together. Yeah.

We all grew up eating souvlaki. It's so tasty that it's hard to forget.

Is it true?

We think it's pretty good, like the taste.

One of the most popular places to find me - traditional pita gyros -

is at Achilleas in the Athenian neighborhood of Neos Kosmos.

I've been served here handmade since the original owner, Achilleas, opened 30 years ago.

Marinos Martopoulos is one of the three-person team who now runs the shop.

As you can see, he’s always busy making sure everyone gets exactly what they want.

My fresh ingredients are one of the secrets to success at Achilleas.

That means…

There's a whole debate about putting potatoes in gyros, but more on that later.

This also keeps the opening hours simple:

But let’s ask some Greeks when they think the best time of day to eat souvlaki is.

For lunch, for example, but it's also really good for after a night out.

I think the best time for souvlaki is anytime during the day. Even for breakfast.

Yeah, not early breakfast, but…

People have been eating me for centuries. My roots are ancient.

The concept of souvlaki is mentioned in the 8th century BCE by the poet Homer