Difference between Shawarma and Gyros? [Split from Minneapolis Shawarma thread on Midwest Board]
I hate to ask, but what is the difference, other than nationality or the use of halal meat, between shawarma and gyros?
mnitchals
Aug 06, 2007 06:24AM
Schwarma, gyros, doner, Mexican al pastor are all roughly the same. Slices of meat assembled on a spit and turned rotisserie style. The meats, spices, accoutrements, heating source and condiments vary by region and desire.
In the greater U.S., I expect gyros to always be a combination of beef and lamb but have a less-specific expectation for schwarma. Here in MSP, including the places I mention above, gyros and schwarma are basically identical.
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And depending on usage and context, gyros refers to the sandwich and shawarma refers to the meat that goes into the sandwich.
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Gyros and doner kebabs differ from shawarma and al pastor in that the former two are often made from a compressed mound of ground meat on a spit whereas the latter two are comprised of slices of meat layered and assembled on the spit.
"The traditional "Gyros" meat that gives the name to the food is a mixture of minced pork and lamb slowly roasted by turning around on a vertical spit (gyros in Greek means "something that goes around"). "
http://www.greeklandscapes.com/travel...
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This is an age old debate and it turns into something along the lines of "my food is better than your food"....which doesn't solve anything
something of an answer is here in the article "what is a shawarma"
http://www.gomideast.com/articles/shw...
but it leaves out some essentials too, relating specifically to your question
al pastor is usually served in a mexican establishment using tortillas as the main wrapper, it is pork usually too, which is a non-muslim food (you don't have pork shawarma
)gyro is usually lamb/beef combination exclusively and served with greek yogurt sauce on thicker greek bread
doner kebab is turkish and served on different bread
shawarma is usually arabic connotated, usually served on pita bread that is cut, and usually comes with a strong garlic sauce
these are all generalizations but are typically accurate, especially when asking what's the difference, but all are subject to interpretation/re-interpretation which makes it a fun batch of foods to try and re-try
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"gyro is usually lamb/beef combination exclusively and served with greek yogurt sauce on thicker greek bread"
I live not far from Greek enclave of Astoria in NYC, and in my experience, gyro can be either or combination of beef, lamb, pork and chicken.
Naturally, where Greeks go, other Balkan people follow, so there are many Turkish restaurants close to my apt.too, so AFAIK, authentic turkish donner kebab is always layers of lamb and not processed as others pointed.
And it really doesn't matter what bread they come on, since the meat can be served either as a sandwich or a platter...
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yes I said "usually" not exclusively. Having lived in both Greece and Cyprus I can attest to that fact.
Also the names of the sandwiches do connotate that they come on bread or tortilla or pita, yes you can get "plates" but you are usually expected to make your own "sandwiches" out of them. Bread is very important as it differentiates the dishes quite a lot. You don't serve al-pastor tacos on pita bread or shawarmas on french rolls for instance. Never...!
Al Pastor also is typically made infused with pineapple juice that runs through the meat as it cooks on the skewer.
Shawarma usually has things like onions or lemons on top of the meat towers.
Not sure what doner has on top. I've not seen gyros with other things on top of their towers either.
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you are correct in that gyros meat is ground and processed and may technically be a forcemeat which is formed and then roasted on a spit where as shwarma is different cuts of meat pressed together and roasted on a spit.
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In addition to the above prep differences - the herbs and spices!
Gyros and other meats cooked Greek style often use oregano and substantial garlic in the marinade.
The marinade for shawarma meat contains allspice and is usually lighter on the garlic.
Per my tasting experiences in the US, at least.
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