Souvlaki is the Greek dish of grilled skewers of marinated meat, often served with pita, tomato, onion, and tzatziki.
The meat is commonly pork or chicken, though lamb and other meats are also used. Small pieces are threaded onto skewers and grilled over high heat. Souvlaki may be served directly on the skewer, on a plate, or wrapped in pita with garnishes and sauce.
The word souvlaki is a diminutive of souvla, meaning spit or skewer. Ancient Greek texts describe meat cooked on spits, but the modern street-food form developed within Greece’s long tradition of grilled meats.
Souvlaki is often confused with gyros. Gyros is meat cooked on a vertical rotating spit and sliced, whereas souvlaki is cooked as small pieces on a skewer. Restaurants may use overlapping serving styles, which adds to the confusion.