Concession Obsession: Souvlaki

Souvlaki

I enjoy Greek food, so I’ve been to quite a few Greek restaurants in my time. I also order souvlaki, calamari, and greek salad from restaurants that deliver Greek Food. However, I have to say that the best souvlaki I’ve ever had is the souvlaki sold from a Greek food truck or concession stand. I particularly like it when they heat up the pita on the grill and then serve the souvlaki wrapped inside with tomatoes, onion, and tsatsiki sauce.

Flikr Photo By esimpraim

In fact, I just enjoyed a chicken souvlaki like this today – purchased from a food cart right outside the train station. The combination of the sunshine, the freshly baked grilled pita and the tender chicken made this the best lunch I’ve had all month.

Flikr Photo By wonderferret

Songs About Souvlaki

Here is a song by the amazing band Slowdive. It has Souvlaki in the song title, but is more spacey than spicey:

The History of Souvlaki

Traditional souvlaki is apparently almost always lamb, although pork is used too (it’s cheaper). I just found out that chicken souvlaki is usually reserved for the tourists (thanks, Wikipedia). The word itself derives from the Greek word for skewer. The ancient word for it was ὀβελίσκος and similar recipes date back to the time of Homer.

According to explorecrete.com, there are references to street vendors selling souvlakia with pita in Constantinople in Byzantine times (700 BC).

Souvlaki Recipes

Checkout food.com for a Greek Souvlaki recipe that has received 5 stars. It can be used for pork or lamb. You can also buy skewers of souvlaki that are ready to grill at many grocery stores. Or, for the best flavor and the most fun, head over to the state fair or city food cart and enjoy the fresh air and fresh taste of this concession obsession!

Check out other concession obsession features here at driving and dining. We have featured everything from french fries, to taco in a bag, and ice cream sandwiches. If you can buy it at a concession stand or food truck, you will see it here. Yum!