Footnotes ------------------- 1 Leonard G. , ‘Pair of firedogs with slots for holding skewers, 17th century BC, Akrotiri’, _Wikimedia Commons_ , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvlaki#/media/File:Akrotiri_terracotta_firedogs_with_zoomorphic_finials.jpg accessed 20 May 2024. 2 Written by IN, ‘Σουβλάκι: Ένα έδεσμα με ιστορία αιώνων’, _IN.GR_ , 18 APRIL 2019, www.in.gr/2019/04/18/stories/features/souvlaki-ena-edesma-istoria-aionon/ accessed 03 February 2024; Marina Petridou, The First Souvlaki in Athens: From 1924 Nikea to today, _Gastronomos GR_ www.gastronomos.gr/topikes-kouzines/ellada/to- proto-soyvlaki-tis-athinas-apo-ti-nikaia- toy-1924-sto-simera, accessed 22 May 2024 3 _Ibidem_ ., 4 Tasos Brekoulakis and Marina Petridou, _Souvlaki a culinary journey from Homer’s epics till modern day street food_ , (Athens, Pataki, 2022), p. 41. 5 _Ibid_ ., pp. 41-44. 6 _Ibid_ ., 7 George Babiniotis, _Dictionary of Modern Greek Language 2nd edition_ ,(Athens, Kentro Lexicologias E.P.E, 2002), p.1073. 8 Clifford A Wright, _A Mediterranean Feast_ , (New York,William and Morrow, 1999). 9 _Ibid_ ., 10 Anonymous, ‘A kebab shop near the Yeni Cami’ (about 1809, painted), _Victoria and Albert Museum London_ , collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O916904/a-kebab-shop-near-the-watercolour-anonymous-greek-artist/ , accessed 19 May 2024. 11 _Ibid_ ., 12 ‘Konstantin Kapidagli’, _Muzeo_, en.muzeo.com/artist/konstantin-kapidagli; Anon., ‘A kebab shop near the Yeni Cami’ (about 1809, painted), V&A Museum; ‘Konstantin Kapıdağlı’, _Wikipedia_ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Kap%C4%B1da%C4%9Fl%C4%B1. (accessed 22 May 2022). 13 *The 30% figure is the average between the total population of Greeks living in Constantinople’s suburb which was 43% and the total in Constantinople and Greater Constantinople area which was 17%.* From Kemal H. Karpat, ‘Ottoman Population Records And The Census Of 1881/82-1893’, _International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies_ , no.9 (1978), 237-274. 14 Gustave Flaubert, in P.A Zannas trans., _The Trip to Greece_ , (Olkos, Athens, 1989). 15 Antonia-Leda Matalas & Mary Yannakoulia, ‘Greek Street Food Vending: An Old Habit Turned New’, _World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics_ , no. 86, (February, 2000), pp.1-24. 16 Flaubert, _Trip to Greece_ , pp. 53. 17 Babiniotis, _Dictionary_, p. 1932; Niki Gamm, ‘The indispensable Ottoman han’ _Hürriyet Daily News_ , www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-indispensable-ottoman-han-39881(26 January 2013) accessed 21 May 2024; Common Knowledge. 18 Anon, ‘Impressions of an Athenian: About Dog-eating’, _Skrip_ (23 January 1910), p.1. 19 _Ibid_ ., 20_Kyrix_ (22 May 1915), Front page. 21 Anon, ‘Disgusting and Unhealthy), _Kyrix_ (03 October 1914). p. 2. 22 Antigone Heraclidou, _Imperial Control in Cyprus: Education and Political Manipulation in the British Empire Paperback_ , (London, Bloomsbury, 2020), p.12. 23 Anon, ‘ Our Sort’, _Eleftheria_ (18 April 1925), p. 5. 24 Inflation Calculator, _Bank of England_ , www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator accessed 20 May 2024. 25 ‘Lira or Cypriot pound’, _Polignosi_ , www.polignosi.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=6911&-V=limmata accessed 21 May 2024.
Blessed to have a Greek restaurant near our apartment with the best gyros and souvlakis in the city. Blessed to have in-laws who live in Athens and send us goodies often. Blessed to learn about souvlaki from you.
Media used in this video (in the order they appeared): ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amirirani, _Charcoal fire wood_, pixabay.com/videos/dark-fire-charcoal-wood-110255/ , accessed 20 May 2024 John Kon, _Zorba The Greek Dance_ , th-cam.com/video/kG12C1oX5Eo/w-d-xo.html , accessed 21 May 2024 MixailMixail, _Shish kebab_ , pixabay.com/videos/shish-kebab-food-meat-grilled-meat-4296/ accessed 20 May 2024 Leonard G. , ‘Pair of firedogs with slots for holding skewers, 17th century BC, Akrotiri’, _Wikimedia Commons_ , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvlaki#/media/File:Akrotiri_terracotta_firedogs_with_zoomorphic_finials.jpg accessed 20 May 2024. Alexman89, _Santorini Greece_ , pixabay.com/videos/santorini-greece-island-travel-4k-82344/ , accessed 21 May 2024 Written by IN, ‘Σουβλάκι: Ένα έδεσμα με ιστορία αιώνων’, _IN.GR_ , 18 APRIL 2019, www.in.gr/2019/04/18/stories/features/souvlaki-ena-edesma-istoria-aionon/ accessed 03 February 2024. Marina Petridou, _Isaac Meraklides outside his souvlaki place at Monastiraki_ , www.gastronomos.gr/topikes-kouzines/ellada/to-proto-soyvlaki-tis-athinas-apo-ti-nikaia-toy-1924-sto-simera, accessed 22 May 2024. Antoniis_fr, _Athens Greece_ , pixabay.com/videos/athens-greece-32683/ User32212, _Athens Plaka Monastiraki_ , pixabay.com/photos/athens-plaka-monastraki-tourism-2466207/ W.C Green, _The Iliad of Homer with a verse translation_ , (London, Longman Press, 1884), p. 367. C.D. Yonge, _The Deipnosophists; or, Banquet of the learned, of Athenaeus vol. I_ , (London, Bohn, 1853). Clifford A Wright, _A Mediterranean Feast_ , (New York,William and Morrow, 1999). TungArt7, _Eiffel Tower Paris_ , pixabay.com/videos/eiffel-tower-eiffel-paris-france-203402/ , accessed 19 May 2024 Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, 'La salle ovale, (1897), architectes Jean-Louis Pascal et son successeur Alfred Recoura', _Wikimedia Commons_ commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_salle_ovale_du_site_Richelieu,_Biblioth%C3%A8que_nationale_de_France,_Paris_2022.jpg accessed 20 May 2024. Anon., A kebab shop near the Yeni Cami (about 1809, painted), _Victoria and Albert Museum London_ , collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O916904/a-kebab-shop-near-the-watercolour-anonymous-greek-artist/ , accessed 19 May 2024. Engin_Akyurt, _Istanbul_ , pixabay.com/videos/antalya-istanbul-square-city-99429/ , accessed 21 May 2024. Adobe Firefly processed image from Stanley Lane-Poole, 'Lord Stratford Canning', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lord_Stratford_Canning.jpg accessed 20 May 2024 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Kap%C4%B1da%C4%9Fl%C4%B1 Adobe Firefly processed image from C messier, 'The White Tower of Thessaloniki', _Wikimedia Commons_ ,en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Tower_of_Thessaloniki#/media/File:WhiteTowerThessaloniki_(3).JPG Nadar, 'Gustave Flaubert', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gustave_Flaubert.jpg Accessed 21 May 2024 Gustave Flaubert, in P.A Zannas trans. The Trip to Greece (Olkos, Athens, 1989). AI Generated Image using DALL-E 3, Souvlakia at a Hani. Berthold Werner, 'Greece, Athens, Acropolis, Parthenon, from east', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Athen_BW_2017-10-09_14-23-38.jpg , accessed 20 May 2024. Jebulon, 'The wall (exterior) of the Herodes Atticus theatre, Acropolis, Athens, Greece', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wall_Theatre_Herodes_Atticus_Acropolis_Athens_Greece.jpg , accessed 20 May 2024. MatthiasKabel, 'Buyuk Han in Nicosia', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicosia_Buyuk_Han_02.jpg , accessed 21 May 2024. Adobe Firefly processed image from Seksen iki yüz kırk beş, 'Kumarcilar Han in north Nicosia, after its restoration in 2016', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Restored_Kumarcilar_Han.JPG , accessed 20 May 2024. Giorgos ab1234, 'Restoration of historical Gravia Inn, Greece', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gravia_Inn,_Greece.jpg , accessed 21 May 2024 AI Generated Image using DALL-E 3, A portrait of a Limassolian man dressed in British high fashion of 1915 Tech bro, 'Limassol Old Town', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Limassol_Old_Town_19.JPG , accessed 22 May 2024. EUCyprus, 'Cyprus European Union Presidency flags in Makariou Avenue', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyprus_European_Union_Presidency_flags_in_Makariou_Avenue_Republic_of_Cyprus.JPG , accessed 22 May 2024.collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O916904/a-kebab-shop-near-the-watercolour-anonymous-greek-artist/ , accessed 19 May 2024.
I feel like a common issue with many of these "x food originated in y country" debates, is that a lot of the time we are dealing with something very basic. Not to downplay souvlaki, it is undeniably delicious, but it is a very basic thing: Meat grilled on a skewer. This probably emerged in uncountable cultures and probably didn't have a single point of origins.
Oh 100%. Skewered meat cooked on fire has been eaten pretty much as early as humans existed. I think there is a bit of debate whether there are multiple sites of simultaneous/parallel invention. However, I find preposterous the narrative that souvlakia/kebab were brought to the Greek-speaking world by conquerors. That’s why I made 2 videos about it. Rant over. Thanks for watching and commenting 😀
Thanks for this great blog. I wonder if you prefer souvlaki in a pitta like me, rather than in a rolled up flat bread. Also -is souvlaki only pork or can it be lamb as well? I remember reading in Homer's Odyssey (Book 12) that the Greeks made souvlaki with skewers on the beach with meat from the forbidden cattle of Helios.
In Cyprus (but I assume in Greece too) 90% of the time we eat souvlakia inside a Cypriot pitta or “rolled” into a greek pitta (check my brekky pitta video to see the difference). The rest of the times you might eat them as part of meze or as a “portion” which comes with pitta, salad and fries (basically deconstructed). Lamb souvlaki is quite rare in Cy (I haven’t travelled extensively in Greece but wherever I went pork was the _de facto_ meat for souvlakia). But I did try them a couple of times. They are delicious but slightly gamey for my taste. They feel too heavy to be eaten weekly in my opinion. I hear in Patra,Greece they even eat beef souvlaki but I have not tried it. Sounds delightful though 🤤 I encountered a reference in the odyssey too but I forgot to write down the reference 😁 Thanks for watching and commenting!
Ah Nicos, history is a bit of a hobby of mine. But a food historian I never really thought of 👍 Don't know much about the history of food but like the Italian, Greek and Oriental (Chinese, Indonesian, Thai) cuisine 👍 And occasionally a beef teriyaki...
As a lover of grilled, skewered meat (pork or otherwise - but not mice!), I shall be sharing this with my meat-skewer-loving friends....It's important academic research.....MMmm, where's my home-made tzatziki... Tony
1.00€ IN 1850. 1.50€ IN 1950. 2.00€ IN 2000. 3.00€ IN 2020. 4.00€ IN 2024. MY GRANDKIDS WILL NEED TO SEEL MY HOUSE TO GET A ROUND OF SOUVLAKI BROTHERS!!!
BIBLIOGRAPHY: -------------------------- Anonymous, ‘A kebab shop near the Yeni Cami’ (about 1809, painted), _Victoria and Albert Museum London_ , collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O916904/a-kebab-shop-near-the-watercolour-anonymous-greek-artist/ , accessed 19 May 2024. Anon, ‘Disgusting and Unhealthy, _Kyrix_ (03 October 1914). p. 2. Anon, ‘ Our Sort’, _Eleftheria_ (18 April 1925), p. 5. Anon, ‘Impressions of an Athenian: About Dog-eating’, _Skrip_ (23 January 1910), p.1. George Babiniotis, _Dictionary of Modern Greek Language 2nd edition_ ,(Athens, Kentro Lexicologias E.P.E, 2002). Amy Bentley, (ed.), A Cultural History of Food in the Modern Age, (London: Berg, 2012). Arkadiusz Blaszczyk and Stefan Rohdewald (eds), _From Kebab to Ćevapčići : foodways in (post-)Ottoman Europe_ , (Wiesbaden, Harrasowitz, 2018). Tasos Brekoulakis and Marina Petridou, _Souvlaki a culinary journey from Homer’s epics till modern day street food_ , (Athens, Pataki, 2022). Alan Davidson, in Tom Jaine (ed.), _The Oxford Companion to Food Ebook_ , (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014). Gustave Flaubert, in P.A Zannas trans., _The Trip to Greece_ , (Olkos, Athens, 1989). Jean-Louis Flandrin & M. Montanari (eds), _Food: A Culinary History from Antiquity to the Present_ , (Chichester, New York: Columbia University Press, 1999). Niki Gamm, ‘The indispensable Ottoman han’ _Hürriyet Daily News_ , www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-indispensable-ottoman-han-39881(26 January 2013) accessed 21 May 2024 Antigone Heraclidou, _Imperial Control in Cyprus: Education and Political Manipulation in the British Empire Paperback_ , (London, Bloomsbury, 2020). Kemal H. Karpat, ‘Ottoman Population Records And The Census Of 1881/82-1893’, _International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies_ , no.9 (1978), 237-274. Kenneth F Kipple and K.C Ornelas (eds), _The Cambridge World History of Food 2 volumes_ , (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000). Antonis Liakos, _The Greek 20th Century_ , (Athens, Polis, 2019). Antonia-Leda Matalas & Mary Yannakoulia, ‘Greek Street Food Vending: An Old Habit Turned New’, _World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics_ , no. 86, (February, 2000), pp.1-24. Herbert L. Meiselman, _Handbook of Eating and Drinking_ , (Switzerland, Springer, 2020). Polignosi ‘Lira or Cypriot pound’,_Polignosi_ , www.polignosi.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=6911&-V=limmata accessed 21 May 2024. Marina Petridou, The First Souvlaki in Athens: From 1924 Nikea to today, _Gastronomos GR_ www.gastronomos.gr/topikes-kouzines/ellada/to- proto-soyvlaki-tis-athinas-apo-ti-nikaia- toy-1924-sto-simera, accessed 22 May 2024. Clifford A Wright, _A Mediterranean Feast_ , (New York, William and Morrow, 1999). Written by IN, ‘Σουβλάκι: Ένα έδεσμα με ιστορία αιώνων’, _IN.GR_ , 18 APRIL 2019, www.in.gr/2019/04/18/stories/features/souvlaki-ena-edesma-istoria-aionon/ accessed 21 May 2024. @ypruss th-cam.com/video/KtMxtbVhmEU/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared Greek cuisine: rare video footage of souvlaki - Greek soldier - 1913 Balkan wars accessed 25 May 2024.
Hey! Thanks for watching! If you want to watch a solid souvlaki recipe I did a reaction video to Binging with Babish’s souvlaki. But in the future I will develop a recipe for making souvlaki without a bbq or charcoal grill.
You didn't do a proper research (I'm kidding ... good job by the way) since just here in TH-cam and in particularly on my TH-cam channel I've posted 2 years ago the oldest film documented Greek souvlaki: July 1913 Balkan wars
Footnotes
-------------------
1 Leonard G. , ‘Pair of firedogs with slots for holding skewers, 17th century BC, Akrotiri’, _Wikimedia Commons_ , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvlaki#/media/File:Akrotiri_terracotta_firedogs_with_zoomorphic_finials.jpg accessed 20 May 2024.
2 Written by IN, ‘Σουβλάκι: Ένα έδεσμα με ιστορία αιώνων’, _IN.GR_ , 18 APRIL 2019, www.in.gr/2019/04/18/stories/features/souvlaki-ena-edesma-istoria-aionon/ accessed 03 February 2024; Marina Petridou, The First Souvlaki in Athens: From 1924 Nikea to today, _Gastronomos GR_ www.gastronomos.gr/topikes-kouzines/ellada/to-
proto-soyvlaki-tis-athinas-apo-ti-nikaia-
toy-1924-sto-simera, accessed 22 May 2024
3 _Ibidem_ .,
4 Tasos Brekoulakis and Marina Petridou, _Souvlaki a culinary journey from Homer’s epics till modern day street food_ , (Athens, Pataki, 2022), p. 41.
5 _Ibid_ ., pp. 41-44.
6 _Ibid_ .,
7 George Babiniotis, _Dictionary of Modern Greek Language 2nd edition_ ,(Athens, Kentro Lexicologias E.P.E, 2002), p.1073.
8 Clifford A Wright, _A Mediterranean Feast_ , (New York,William and Morrow, 1999).
9 _Ibid_ .,
10 Anonymous, ‘A kebab shop near the Yeni Cami’ (about 1809, painted), _Victoria and Albert Museum London_ , collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O916904/a-kebab-shop-near-the-watercolour-anonymous-greek-artist/ , accessed 19 May 2024.
11 _Ibid_ .,
12 ‘Konstantin Kapidagli’, _Muzeo_,
en.muzeo.com/artist/konstantin-kapidagli; Anon., ‘A kebab shop near the Yeni Cami’ (about 1809, painted), V&A Museum;
‘Konstantin Kapıdağlı’, _Wikipedia_ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Kap%C4%B1da%C4%9Fl%C4%B1. (accessed 22 May 2022).
13 *The 30% figure is the average between the total population of Greeks living in Constantinople’s suburb which was 43% and the total in Constantinople and Greater Constantinople area which was 17%.* From
Kemal H. Karpat, ‘Ottoman Population Records And The Census Of 1881/82-1893’, _International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies_ , no.9 (1978), 237-274.
14 Gustave Flaubert, in P.A Zannas trans., _The Trip to Greece_ , (Olkos, Athens, 1989).
15 Antonia-Leda Matalas & Mary Yannakoulia, ‘Greek Street Food Vending: An Old Habit Turned New’, _World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics_ , no. 86, (February, 2000), pp.1-24.
16 Flaubert, _Trip to Greece_ , pp. 53.
17 Babiniotis, _Dictionary_, p. 1932; Niki Gamm, ‘The indispensable Ottoman han’ _Hürriyet Daily News_ , www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-indispensable-ottoman-han-39881(26 January 2013) accessed 21 May 2024; Common Knowledge.
18 Anon, ‘Impressions of an Athenian: About Dog-eating’, _Skrip_ (23 January 1910), p.1.
19 _Ibid_ .,
20_Kyrix_ (22 May 1915), Front page.
21 Anon, ‘Disgusting and Unhealthy), _Kyrix_ (03 October 1914). p. 2.
22 Antigone Heraclidou, _Imperial Control in Cyprus: Education and Political Manipulation in the British Empire Paperback_ , (London, Bloomsbury, 2020), p.12.
23 Anon, ‘ Our Sort’, _Eleftheria_ (18 April 1925), p. 5.
24 Inflation Calculator, _Bank of England_ , www.bankofengland.co.uk/monetary-policy/inflation/inflation-calculator accessed 20 May 2024.
25 ‘Lira or Cypriot pound’, _Polignosi_ , www.polignosi.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=6911&-V=limmata accessed 21 May 2024.
im supposed to be studying nicos NOT NOW😭😭
Sorry mate! Good luck with that! 😃
Blessed to have a Greek restaurant near our apartment with the best gyros and souvlakis in the city. Blessed to have in-laws who live in Athens and send us goodies often. Blessed to learn about souvlaki from you.
Blessed to have a viewer like you!! Thank you 🙏
You have gained a subscriber γιατί είσαι μερακλής
Thank you!!! Haha 😀 I see that you too εισαι μεγας μερακλης!
this is absolutely awesome, always wanted to know more about souvlaki!
Thank you! 🙏
Media used in this video (in the order they appeared):
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amirirani, _Charcoal fire wood_, pixabay.com/videos/dark-fire-charcoal-wood-110255/ , accessed 20 May 2024
John Kon, _Zorba The Greek Dance_ , th-cam.com/video/kG12C1oX5Eo/w-d-xo.html , accessed 21 May 2024
MixailMixail, _Shish kebab_ ,
pixabay.com/videos/shish-kebab-food-meat-grilled-meat-4296/ accessed 20 May 2024
Leonard G. , ‘Pair of firedogs with slots for holding skewers, 17th century BC, Akrotiri’, _Wikimedia Commons_ , en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souvlaki#/media/File:Akrotiri_terracotta_firedogs_with_zoomorphic_finials.jpg accessed 20 May 2024.
Alexman89, _Santorini Greece_ ,
pixabay.com/videos/santorini-greece-island-travel-4k-82344/ , accessed 21 May 2024
Written by IN, ‘Σουβλάκι: Ένα έδεσμα με ιστορία αιώνων’, _IN.GR_ , 18 APRIL 2019, www.in.gr/2019/04/18/stories/features/souvlaki-ena-edesma-istoria-aionon/ accessed 03 February 2024.
Marina Petridou, _Isaac Meraklides outside his souvlaki place at Monastiraki_ , www.gastronomos.gr/topikes-kouzines/ellada/to-proto-soyvlaki-tis-athinas-apo-ti-nikaia-toy-1924-sto-simera, accessed 22 May 2024.
Antoniis_fr, _Athens Greece_ ,
pixabay.com/videos/athens-greece-32683/
User32212, _Athens Plaka Monastiraki_ ,
pixabay.com/photos/athens-plaka-monastraki-tourism-2466207/
W.C Green, _The Iliad of Homer with a verse translation_ , (London, Longman Press, 1884), p. 367.
C.D. Yonge, _The Deipnosophists; or, Banquet of the learned, of Athenaeus vol. I_ , (London, Bohn, 1853).
Clifford A Wright, _A Mediterranean Feast_ , (New York,William and Morrow, 1999).
TungArt7, _Eiffel Tower Paris_ ,
pixabay.com/videos/eiffel-tower-eiffel-paris-france-203402/ , accessed 19 May 2024
Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, 'La salle ovale, (1897), architectes Jean-Louis Pascal et son successeur Alfred Recoura', _Wikimedia Commons_ commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:La_salle_ovale_du_site_Richelieu,_Biblioth%C3%A8que_nationale_de_France,_Paris_2022.jpg accessed 20 May 2024.
Anon., A kebab shop near the Yeni Cami (about 1809, painted), _Victoria and Albert Museum London_ ,
collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O916904/a-kebab-shop-near-the-watercolour-anonymous-greek-artist/ , accessed 19 May 2024.
Engin_Akyurt, _Istanbul_ ,
pixabay.com/videos/antalya-istanbul-square-city-99429/ , accessed 21 May 2024.
Adobe Firefly processed image from Stanley Lane-Poole, 'Lord Stratford Canning', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lord_Stratford_Canning.jpg accessed 20 May 2024
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konstantin_Kap%C4%B1da%C4%9Fl%C4%B1
Adobe Firefly processed image from C messier, 'The White Tower of Thessaloniki', _Wikimedia Commons_ ,en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Tower_of_Thessaloniki#/media/File:WhiteTowerThessaloniki_(3).JPG
Nadar, 'Gustave Flaubert', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gustave_Flaubert.jpg Accessed 21 May 2024
Gustave Flaubert, in P.A Zannas trans. The Trip to Greece (Olkos, Athens, 1989).
AI Generated Image using DALL-E 3, Souvlakia at a Hani.
Berthold Werner, 'Greece, Athens, Acropolis, Parthenon, from east', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Athen_BW_2017-10-09_14-23-38.jpg , accessed 20 May 2024.
Jebulon, 'The wall (exterior) of the Herodes Atticus theatre, Acropolis, Athens, Greece', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wall_Theatre_Herodes_Atticus_Acropolis_Athens_Greece.jpg , accessed 20 May 2024.
MatthiasKabel, 'Buyuk Han in Nicosia', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nicosia_Buyuk_Han_02.jpg , accessed 21 May 2024.
Adobe Firefly processed image from Seksen iki yüz kırk beş, 'Kumarcilar Han in north Nicosia, after its restoration in 2016', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Restored_Kumarcilar_Han.JPG , accessed 20 May 2024.
Giorgos ab1234, 'Restoration of historical Gravia Inn, Greece', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gravia_Inn,_Greece.jpg , accessed 21 May 2024
AI Generated Image using DALL-E 3, A portrait of a Limassolian man dressed in British high fashion of 1915
Tech bro, 'Limassol Old Town', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Limassol_Old_Town_19.JPG , accessed 22 May 2024.
EUCyprus, 'Cyprus European Union Presidency flags in Makariou Avenue', _Wikimedia Commons_ , commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cyprus_European_Union_Presidency_flags_in_Makariou_Avenue_Republic_of_Cyprus.JPG , accessed 22 May 2024.collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O916904/a-kebab-shop-near-the-watercolour-anonymous-greek-artist/ , accessed 19 May 2024.
I feel like a common issue with many of these "x food originated in y country" debates, is that a lot of the time we are dealing with something very basic. Not to downplay souvlaki, it is undeniably delicious, but it is a very basic thing: Meat grilled on a skewer. This probably emerged in uncountable cultures and probably didn't have a single point of origins.
Oh 100%. Skewered meat cooked on fire has been eaten pretty much as early as humans existed. I think there is a bit of debate whether there are multiple sites of simultaneous/parallel invention. However, I find preposterous the narrative that souvlakia/kebab were brought to the Greek-speaking world by conquerors. That’s why I made 2 videos about it. Rant over. Thanks for watching and commenting 😀
@@nicoskefalas Absolutely agree.
Thanks for this great blog. I wonder if you prefer souvlaki in a pitta like me, rather than in a rolled up flat bread. Also -is souvlaki only pork or can it be lamb as well?
I remember reading in Homer's Odyssey (Book 12) that the Greeks made souvlaki with skewers on the beach with meat from the forbidden cattle of Helios.
In Cyprus (but I assume in Greece too) 90% of the time we eat souvlakia inside a Cypriot pitta or “rolled” into a greek pitta (check my brekky pitta video to see the difference). The rest of the times you might eat them as part of meze or as a “portion” which comes with pitta, salad and fries (basically deconstructed). Lamb souvlaki is quite rare in Cy (I haven’t travelled extensively in Greece but wherever I went pork was the _de facto_ meat for souvlakia). But I did try them a couple of times. They are delicious but slightly gamey for my taste. They feel too heavy to be eaten weekly in my opinion. I hear in Patra,Greece they even eat beef souvlaki but I have not tried it. Sounds delightful though 🤤
I encountered a reference in the odyssey too but I forgot to write down the reference 😁
Thanks for watching and commenting!
Ah Nicos, history is a bit of a hobby of mine. But a food historian I never really thought of 👍
Don't know much about the history of food but like the Italian, Greek and Oriental (Chinese, Indonesian, Thai) cuisine 👍 And occasionally a beef teriyaki...
@@Michel-r6m Well I think you might enjoy my videos then! Stay tuned and more history videos are on the way! 😀Thanks for watching and commenting! 🙏
As a lover of grilled, skewered meat (pork or otherwise - but not mice!), I shall be sharing this with my meat-skewer-loving friends....It's important academic research.....MMmm, where's my home-made tzatziki...
Tony
Thank you for watching and commenting Tony!😃
fascinating
Thank you for watching and commenting! 🫡
Thank you so much 👍👍👍
Most welcome 😊
1.00€ IN 1850.
1.50€ IN 1950.
2.00€ IN 2000.
3.00€ IN 2020.
4.00€ IN 2024.
MY GRANDKIDS WILL NEED TO SEEL MY HOUSE TO GET A ROUND OF SOUVLAKI BROTHERS!!!
Haha! Lemme guess… Somewhere in Greece?
@@nicoskefalas ναι :(
@@hiukas. Τουλαχιστο δεν πηγε στα 7-8 ευρω που εχουν την Κυπριακη πιττα εδω 😂
@@nicoskefalas 8 ΕΥΡΩ? Ο ελληνισμός είναι σε παρακμή Νικόλαε...
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
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Anonymous, ‘A kebab shop near the Yeni Cami’ (about 1809, painted), _Victoria and Albert Museum London_ , collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O916904/a-kebab-shop-near-the-watercolour-anonymous-greek-artist/ , accessed 19 May 2024.
Anon, ‘Disgusting and Unhealthy, _Kyrix_ (03 October 1914). p. 2.
Anon, ‘ Our Sort’, _Eleftheria_ (18 April 1925), p. 5.
Anon, ‘Impressions of an Athenian: About Dog-eating’, _Skrip_ (23 January 1910), p.1.
George Babiniotis, _Dictionary of Modern Greek Language 2nd edition_ ,(Athens, Kentro Lexicologias E.P.E, 2002).
Amy Bentley, (ed.), A Cultural History of Food in the Modern Age, (London: Berg, 2012).
Arkadiusz Blaszczyk and Stefan Rohdewald (eds), _From Kebab to Ćevapčići : foodways in (post-)Ottoman Europe_ , (Wiesbaden, Harrasowitz, 2018).
Tasos Brekoulakis and Marina Petridou, _Souvlaki a culinary journey from Homer’s epics till modern day street food_ , (Athens, Pataki, 2022).
Alan Davidson, in Tom Jaine (ed.), _The Oxford Companion to Food Ebook_ , (Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014).
Gustave Flaubert, in P.A Zannas trans., _The Trip to Greece_ , (Olkos, Athens, 1989).
Jean-Louis Flandrin & M. Montanari (eds), _Food: A Culinary History from Antiquity to the Present_ , (Chichester, New York: Columbia University Press, 1999).
Niki Gamm, ‘The indispensable Ottoman han’ _Hürriyet Daily News_ , www.hurriyetdailynews.com/the-indispensable-ottoman-han-39881(26 January 2013) accessed 21 May 2024
Antigone Heraclidou, _Imperial Control in Cyprus: Education and Political Manipulation in the British Empire Paperback_ , (London, Bloomsbury, 2020).
Kemal H. Karpat, ‘Ottoman Population Records And The Census Of 1881/82-1893’, _International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies_ , no.9 (1978), 237-274.
Kenneth F Kipple and K.C Ornelas (eds), _The Cambridge World History of Food 2 volumes_ , (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000).
Antonis Liakos, _The Greek 20th Century_ , (Athens, Polis, 2019).
Antonia-Leda Matalas & Mary Yannakoulia, ‘Greek Street Food Vending: An Old Habit Turned New’, _World Review of Nutrition and Dietetics_ , no. 86, (February, 2000), pp.1-24.
Herbert L. Meiselman, _Handbook of Eating and Drinking_ , (Switzerland, Springer, 2020).
Polignosi ‘Lira or Cypriot pound’,_Polignosi_ , www.polignosi.com/cgibin/hweb?-A=6911&-V=limmata accessed 21 May 2024.
Marina Petridou, The First Souvlaki in Athens: From 1924 Nikea to today, _Gastronomos GR_ www.gastronomos.gr/topikes-kouzines/ellada/to-
proto-soyvlaki-tis-athinas-apo-ti-nikaia-
toy-1924-sto-simera, accessed 22 May 2024.
Clifford A Wright, _A Mediterranean Feast_ , (New York, William and Morrow, 1999).
Written by IN, ‘Σουβλάκι: Ένα έδεσμα με ιστορία αιώνων’, _IN.GR_ , 18 APRIL 2019, www.in.gr/2019/04/18/stories/features/souvlaki-ena-edesma-istoria-aionon/ accessed 21 May 2024.
@ypruss th-cam.com/video/KtMxtbVhmEU/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared Greek cuisine: rare video footage of souvlaki - Greek soldier - 1913 Balkan wars accessed 25 May 2024.
... That's great, dude, really. I mean it, well done, but I thought you would throw in at least one recipe.
Hey! Thanks for watching! If you want to watch a solid souvlaki recipe I did a reaction video to Binging with Babish’s souvlaki. But in the future I will develop a recipe for making souvlaki without a bbq or charcoal grill.
@@nicoskefalas 🤤
Great. Now do seftalia 🙏
Working on it! 😀Thanks for watching and commenting!
You didn't do a proper research (I'm kidding ... good job by the way) since just here in TH-cam and in particularly on my TH-cam channel I've posted 2 years ago the oldest film documented Greek souvlaki: July 1913 Balkan wars
Awwww! So sad that I missed it! I will check it out now! Thanks for watching and commenting 😃
E ise enas meraklidis re!
Yeah baby 🫡👀
γκρεατ
Θενκ γιου βερυ ματς! 😂🙏