What is the difference between shawarma and gyros?

Question

I see both of these terms used in restaurants that seem to specialize in meat on a vertical rotisserie served in a pita sandwich. I'm not clear on whether there is a difference between the two or if they are just colloquial names for the same thing.

Answer 1

They're rather different.

Gyros are Greek in origin. They are simply meat, tomatoes, onion, and tzatziki sauce on pita. In Greece the meat is typically pork (never had one). In America, specifically here in Chicago (their local origin), the meat is a combination of beef & lamb.

Shwawarma is Middle Eastern in origin. The possible toppings are much more diverse, and can include: tahini, tabouli, fattoush, cucumber, and hummus. Tzatziki isn't typically used, at least not in America. The meat is also never pork, it can be lamb, beef or chicken.

They owe their similarities to their common Turkish ancestor the doner kebab.

See also:

• Doner kebab
• Gyros
• Shawarma

Answer 2

As sarge_smith hinted at in his comment to hobodave, at least from the gyros and shwarmas I've had.

• Gyros are made from a loaf of ground meat, onions and seasonings, spit roasted. (this might be a regional thing, though)
• Shawarmas (and doner kebab) are cuts of meat, marinated and stacked, then spit roasted.

As you slice the shawarma meat off the cone, you're cutting across the stacked slices, so it'll end up falling into lots of smaller bits, while the gyro meat is larger slices, but still tender because it's ground meat.

• Gyros tend to have more "mediteranian" herbs (oregano, marjoram, thyme, rosemary)
• Shawarmas tend to have more "middle eastern" spices (cardamom, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, coriander seed, tumeric)
• Either one might have cumin, pepper or oregano, and they'll both have garlic.

I don't know how much of it's a regional thing (as I think I've only had shawarmas twice in the US), but when we used to get shawarmas in the Netherlands, they were served with a garlic yoghurt sauce that was similar to tzatziki, but didn't have cucumber or herbs in it. They were also served inside pita pockets (with shredded carrot, lettuce and tomatoes) as opposed to wrapped in a flatbread.

Answer 3

Gyros are not usually pork. in Greece, they are wrapped lamb and beef with proper spices skewered and roasted. In America, I have made them with ground lamb and hambburger.