Celebrate National Gyro Day: Discover the Delicious History!

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Good morning! Today is September 1st, and it’s National Gyro Day! And here’s something that might surprise you: that delicious gyro you think is an ancient Greek recipe? The American version is actually younger than rock and roll. The story begins much earlier, in the Ottoman Empire, where by the 1800s cooks were preparing seasoned meat on rotating spits. That tradition gave us Turkey’s döner kebab and helped inspire related dishes throughout the Mediterranean and Middle East. But the gyro most Americans recognize — seasoned meat spinning vertically, shaved hot into warm pita, then loaded with tomatoes, onions, and cool tzatziki — really took off in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. Greek-American restaurant owners adapted the old technique for busy American restaurants. Instead of stacking individual cuts of meat, many began using a seasoned mixture of ground lamb and beef formed into a dense cone. And then Chicago helped turn the gyro into a nationwide phenomenon. During the 1970s, companies began commercially producing those ready-made gyro cones. Restaurants could simply mount one on the rotisserie, cook it, shave it, and serve it. Suddenly, gyros could appear in diners, food courts, restaurants, and street carts all across America. But we need to settle one important issue. How do you pronounce “gyro”? In Greek, it’s much closer to “YEE-ro.” Not “JAI-ro.” Not “GUY-ro.” Although after decades of Americans ordering it every possible way, I think the sandwich has officially stopped caring. Because when that hot, crispy-edged meat hits a warm pita with tomato, onion, and cold, garlicky tzatziki… nobody is arguing about pronunciation anymore. So today, celebrate National Gyro Day the proper way: find yourself a good gyro, eat it while it’s hot, and maybe impress somebody by ordering a “YEE-ro.” And tell me in the comments — what do YOU call it: “YEE-ro” or “JAI-ro”? Follow at itsallaboutfrank for more food history, strange stories, and the history hiding in everyday life. Happy National Gyro Day!