Episode 2 Release
In this second episode of the Everything’s Betta with Feta vlog, the crew takes you on a tour of Greek flavor.
Follow the hosts as they enjoy food that can be found at our “Greek Street Eats” tent during the Tulsa Greek Festival – September 22-24!
The group tastes a variety of favorites known to the street vendors of Greece, such as, Gyros, Souvlaki, Calamari, and more. See how we make our famous flaming cheese, Saganaki. Get a sneak peek of our annual Greek fry eating contest – the Lord of the Fries!
Finally, take a look at how some Greeks settle disputes.
The Menu
The Greek Street Eats tent is dedicated to the foods you’d find while touring cities like Athens, Thessaloniki, or Heraklion. Street vendors serve up fresh favorites like Gyros, Souvlaki, Calamari, and fries.
Pork Souvlaki
A traditional Greek staple, souvlaki (soo-vlah-kee), can be found on nearly every Greek dinner table.
Bite-sized pieces of meat, often pork tenderloin or chicken, are skewered and well seasoned with spices and herbs like oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper. The kabobs are then grilled to perfection on an open flame.
The result is deliciously moist and savory dish that can be eaten directly from the stick with lots of lemon or you can slide it off into a pita and top with Tzatziki sauce.
Resist the urge to engage in a skewer fight with your siblings or else Yiayia will get you with the pantofla!
Gyros
The most well-known bit of Greek cuisine is the Gyro. That’s pronounced YEE-roh.
You’ve likely seen these sandwiches being sold in malls, at fairs, and even by fast-food chains. For an authentic Greek gyro, stop by our Greek Street Eats tent.
The word “Gyro” means to turn or spin in Greek and refers to the spinning spit that cooks layers of beef and lamb. Slices of meat are shaved off, served in a pita, and topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and plenty of tzatziki sauce.
If you’re not making a mess while eating a gyro, then you’re not really eating a gyro. Get a face full of tzatziki and get #gyrofaced.
Calamari
Looking for a taste of the Aegean sea? Look no further than this perfect meze dish. Fried Calamari, or Kalamarakia Tiganita, can be found all over Greece, especially on the islands.
The squid is cut into rings and tentacles that are then dredged in a combination of rice and wheat flour seasoned with salt and pepper. From our beloved, Squid Shack, we deep fry the calamari until they are perfectly crispy bites.
Traditionally, calamari is enjoyed with lots and lots of lemon. Many also love to dip it in cocktail sauce.
Greek Fries
In Greece, fries are often served inside of gyros. Here we let our fries shine on their own!
We toss our fries in a seasoning mix from a “secret ancient Greek recipe.” Then we top them with plenty of crumbled feta cheese because, as you know, everything’s betta with feta! Eat them as is, dip them in tzatziki dip, OR order them Opa Style, where we add a serving of gyro meat on top for a heartier dish.
If you really love Greek Fries, you should sign up to compete in our annual Lord of the Fries eating competition! Teams of two compete to see who can eat the most fries in the time limit.
Here’s the twist! “The eater” can’t use their hands and “the feeder” is blindfolded. It gets MESSY! It’s a lot of fries, a lot of tzatziki, and a lot of fun. Don’t miss it!
Saganaki
Who doesn’t love cheese? At the Tulsa Greek Festival, our guests enjoy this tasty appetizer with a show! You can find this dish at the Temple of Fire booth where the magic happens.
Saganaki is the famous Greek flaming cheese. The word “saganaki” refers to the pan that was originally used to fry the cheese. Many kinds of cheeses can be used to make Saganaki including Kefalotyri, Kefalograviera, Graviera, Kasseri, or even Halloumi. The cheese should be semi-hard and not easy to melt. By the end of the cooking process, the outside of the cheese should be both crispy and melty while the inside is softened.
To flambé the cheese we add a shot of Greek brandy, Metaxa, then light it on fire! After the fire burns down, the cheese is doused in lemon juice. This method leaves a hint of the brandy flavor and lemon to contrast the salty flavor of the cheese.
