An introduction to souvlaki
Souvlaki, plural souvlakia, is a popular Greek fast food consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. It is usually served with grilled bread, or in a pita wrap with garnishes and sauces, or on a dinner plate, often with fried potatoes. The meat usually used in Greece and Cyprus is pork, although chicken and lamb may also be used. In other countries and for tourists, souvlaki may be made with meats such as lamb, beef, chicken and sometimes fish (especially swordfish) Souvlaki and gyros are the most famous street foods in Greece. Even if we consume them very often in this country, most people do not know its origins. We will try to present you a few information about souvlaki, so everytime you taste it you will remember its long history. Souvlaki is one of the most popular delicacies of Greek gastronomy, its recipe has its routes in antiquity. The first reference we have about souvlaki, is in Homer's heroic poems, where Achilleas is been described to roast on burning coals pieces of meat. Another source is the book "Dipnosophiste" which was written by Athineos, who was a Greek biologist and gastronomist. Also Igisipos in his cooking guide which he named "Opsartitiko" he refers to a dish which was named "Kandavlos" and was made of pieces of meat, cheese, pita bread, dill and was served with a sauce. In roman manuscripts of the 1rst cent. A.D.we have references about souvlaki made of guts, and many years later in Instanbul, about vendors selling souvlaki with pita bread in the streets. During the decade of 1940souvlaki became popular in the refugee's neighborhoods, such as "Koridallos" and in Piraeus a refugee from Istanbul made in 1950 the first wrapped souvlaki with kebab.