souvlaki

American  

[soov-lah-kee] / suvˈlɑ ki /

Also souvlakia

noun

Greek Cooking.

1. a dish similar to shish kebab made with lamb.

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Etymology

Origin of souvlaki

1945–50; < Modern Greek soubláki small spit, derivative of soúbla spit, skewer ≪ Latin sūbula shoemaker's awl, equivalent to sū-, base of su ( ere ) to sew ¹ + -bula suffix of instruments

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Explanation

Souvlaki is a Greek dish of grilled meat that's commonly sold by street vendors. While it's sometimes stuffed into a pita, souvlaki is usually served on skewers, hot off the grill. The skewer is important to souvlaki, including its etymology. Souvlaki is a diminutive of the Medieval Greek souvla, or "skewer" — in other words, it means "little skewer." This dish is cooked by skewering small pieces of marinated pork, lamb, beef, or chicken, and cooking them over hot coals. In Greece and Cyprus, souvlaki is often served with potatoes, vegetables, pita, and sauces on the side.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

souvlaki

He would marinate for days, chicken and souvlaki.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2023

I also aspirated souvlaki with yogurt dressing into my lungs.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2022

Averages prices for souvlaki have risen far faster than headline measures of inflation - hovering at a 28-year high around 10% in Greece read more - trotted out by national statistics agencies.

From Reuters ● Jun. 1, 2022

His uncle’s cart was at 51st Street and Park Avenue, and also sold Greek sausage, spinach pie and souvlaki platters.

From New York Times ● Jul. 20, 2021

But the walk made him hungry, and it was then he realized there weren’t any street vendors selling pretzels or hot dogs, roasted nuts or souvlaki.

From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer

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