What sweet bread is traditionally baked in Greece for Easter?

Tsoureki is the sweet bread traditionally baked in Greece for Easter.

This enriched yeast bread is made with flour, milk, butter, eggs, and sugar. Greek recipes commonly flavor it with mahleb, a fragrant spice made from the stones of St. Lucie cherries, along with orange zest or mastic resin. The dough is often braided and may be decorated with red-dyed eggs pressed into the loaf.

Tsoureki is closely associated with Greek Orthodox Easter and is also prepared by Greek communities abroad. The red eggs symbolize the blood of Christ and are a recognizable part of many Easter versions. The bread is soft, lightly sweet, and closer to brioche than to an ordinary savory loaf.

Several similarly named Greek celebration breads can cause confusion. Koulouria or koulourakia are usually cookies or pastries, while vasilopita is associated with New Year’s Day and traditionally contains a hidden coin. Christopsomo is the related Christmas bread, often decorated with a cross.