macrakis@harvard.ARPA (Stavros Macrakis) (02/28/85)
It's unfortunate what's happened to the `gyro' on its way to the US. A recent note referred to it as `Greek meat loaf', which is pretty much what it has become on the streets of New York. But the real `gyro' is something considerably different. Let's start with the name. `Gyro' (g = gamma pron. like y) is the usual name in this country. `Gyro' means `(turns) around'; an equally common name in Greece is `doner', short for the Turkish name, `doner kebap', which means `turning meat', roughly. Note that kebap/kebab does not mean, in Turkish, skewered meat (in `shish kebap', shish (= `sword') is the skewer part); I've never quite pinned down what `kebap' means, but something like `dish made primarily of pieces of meat'; in Egyp. Arabic, as in English, it seems to mean `shish kebab', although the word may be related to Leb. Ar. kibbeh / Egyp. Ar. kubeybah (dish made of ground meat, grain, and nuts). Anyway, `gyro' is called shwarma/shuwerma in Arabic. Gyro appears to exist as far east as India, although my Indian colleague couldn't remember its name. Can any Persians, Pakistanis, Indians, ... enlighten me on its local names? Anyway, the real gyro is a turning vertical skewer of meat with a heat source on one sides (traditionally, coals in a cage). The distance to the heat source is adjustable. The meat is made up of layered slices of meat interspersed with layers of seasoning and fat. It is sliced vertically as needed. There are several principles operating here: 1) by slicing in two dimensions, you get tender slices from possibly tough meat; 2) you can adjust the rate of cooking to fit the flow of customers (by moving the meat closer or further); 3) it is a continuous process, so you don't have to keep track of orders; 4) the juices flow down from the top to the bottom, basting as they go (more fat is put on top); 5) you can't make it conveniently at home; 6) you can use all the meat on the animal, not just pieces that are the right size. Unfortunately, most of the gyro joints in the US seem to use hamburger instead of sliced meat, and the spicing is insipid. Indeed, most don't even make up the skewer themselves, but buy it from outside. Gyro is usually eaten in Syrian bread with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, and with a sauce. The Greeks and Turks usually use Gr. tzatziki / Tk. jajik, made from concentrated yoghurt (let it drip in cheesecloth overnight, also available commercially (Colombo `Lebany Spread') with cucumbers and garlic. The Arabs use tahini sauce, made from tahini (sesame paste) plus lemon and garlic. There are many variants. Turkish `Iskender', for instance, adds tomato sauce and is served on a plate. Gyro is the perfect bazaar food, the forerunner, perhaps, of fast food. Pity it's been destroyed here. Are there any real gyro joints out there? -s