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Gyros meat cut off the mechanical skewer

Gyros or gyro (IPA /ˈʝiɾos/ from Greek Γύρος 'turning') is a rotisserie meat, or by extension the pita sandwich it is usually found in. In addition to the meat, there are also various salads and sauces inside the pita. The most common fillings are tomato, cucumber and onions.

The gyros is similar to the Turkish döner kebab, being meat roasted in vertically rotating cones from which slices are cut. The pronunciation of gyros varies, with one linguist noting 5 pronunciations in Greece. [ˈjiros] is one of the leading pronunciations in some regions of the world where the dish is served. Gyros and souvlaki are sometimes used as interchangeable terms in Greece although they refer to two different dishes.

Regional Variations

Greece

In Greece, the meat is either lamb, beef, pork or chicken. Strips of the meat are put onto the rotisserie, and as the meat cooks chippings are sliced off. Popular toppings include onion, tomato, cucumber, dried hot pepper, French fries, and various sauces and salads including ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, tzatziki, and 'Hungarian salad' (mayonnaise and bacon).

In Thessaloniki an order 'with everything' includes tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, and french fries in addition to the meat. Pitas are available in at least three types: 'plain', 'Cypriot', and 'Arabian'. 'Plain' pita is around 22cm in diameter and the thickest and greasiest of the three. 'Cypriot' pita are the same size but somewhat thinner, and are split like pocket bread. Finally, 'Arabian' pitas are crispy, and the flattest and largest.

United States

In the United States, gyros are usually made from sliced lamb, or made from minced beef or possibly a combination of minced lamb and beef. Chicken is a common alternative in many restaurants serving gyros. The pita is similar to a Greek 'plain' pita, although sometimes it is split open. Common fillings are lettuce, tomato, olives,onion and cucumber. The only sauce available is usually tzatziki, sometimes called 'cucumber sauce'.

Australia

In parts of Australia, especially South Australia this food is known (both in the singular and plural) as yiros, based the normal pronunciation of the Greek letter gamma (γ) similar to an English Y. They are also known as döner kebabs in New South Wales and souvlaki in Victoria. There is significant terminological confusion between yiros, souvlaki, döner kebab, and shawarma, not only from state to state, but community to community. The products are also relatively similar, and thus are in general referred to as "kebabs" in the Eastern States and "Yiros" in the Western States.

They are typically based on lamb, chicken or beef, or a combination of those meats. The common fillings are lettuce, tomato, onion, hummus and tabouli. Grated cheddar cheese is also common, most probably in response to Australian tastes rather than Greek tradition. The sauce is usually a garlic sauce such as tzatziki, but chilli sauce can also be used. A yiros is always served rolled up in a pita bread.

A small difference between the New South Welsh and other versions of the food is that "yiros" and "souvlaki" are made of thinly sliced lamb (or chicken) stacked on the vertical rotisserie, whereas the "döner kebab" is made of minced meat.

In Australian English, as opposed to the other world Englishes, yiros is not a cuisine name. "Let's get Chinese" is acceptable, but "Let's get yiros" is not.

Some notable South Australian Yiros shops are: