tsourekia

/t͡suˈɹeɪ.kjɑ/

Etymology

Borrowed from Greek τσουρέκια (tsourékia), diminutive form of Greek τσουρέκι (tsouréki), from Turkish çörek.

Why this word is great

TSOUREKIA — [Noun] A sweet, leavened bread enriched with egg, similar to brioche, traditionally made in Greece. Borrowed from Greek τσουρέκια (tsourékia), diminutive of τσουρέκι (tsouréki), itself from Turkish çörek ("a type of bread"). Unlike "brioche" (which luxuriates in butter) or "challah" (which carries the weight of ritual), tsourekia is a bread of celebration, perfumed with mastic or mahleb—spices that taste like sunlight and resin. It is the golden braid glazed with sugar syrup, the faint aniseed warmth lingering in the air, the way a single slice—soft, rich, almost floral—can make a morning feel like a feast. Bread, at its best, is a quiet rebellion against time.

noun

  1. A (loaf of) a sweet, leavened bread, enriched with egg, similar to brioche.“Over those years, he said, as Billie Holiday’s voice wafted over the sound system, he expanded from selling tsourekia and cookies to ice cream, tarts and a variety of other pastries.”