Tsoureki [szoo-REH-kee] n. Greek anise-flavored bread, topped with sesame seeds.
We just learned this word, as our mother made this bread while we were home over the weekend. In fact, she made two loaves because between ourselves and some visiting friends, we just gobbled it up. Tsoureki is a deliciously warm and rich bread - an egg bread like challah or houska.
What makes tsoureki distinctive, however, is the 2 teaspoons of crushed anise that give it a lingering and delicious fragrance. It is traditionally served at Easter (tsoureki comes from a Greek word that symbolizes Christ's resurrection) but also at other holiday times. The anise seems well-suited to winter holidays.
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traditionally, tsoureki is flavored with the unusual spice mahlepi. mahlepi (sometimes commonly spelled mahleb, from turkish) is a finely ground powder, made from the fruit pits of persian sour cherry trees. it is very difficult to find - and can be scored at mediterranean specialty stores or online at penzeys.
i'm not so sure that my greek grandmother would substitute mahlepi with anise - the subtle, citrusy aroma that wafts into my kitchen when baking tsoureki is unbelievable. she might, however, use the zest of an orange instead.
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Sounds lovely with the orange zest. Do you have a family recipe to share Alexia?
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