Pavlova

A dessert for a dancer

Anna Pavlova was one of the most famous ballerinas in the world in the early twentieth century, celebrated for her role as the Dying Swan. When she toured Australia and New Zealand in 1926, returning to Australia in 1929, she caused a sensation. Somewhere along the way, a light, white meringue cake was named in her honor, said to be as airy as her dancing, with the cream and fruit sometimes compared to a tutu.

Who made it first?

Australians and New Zealanders have argued about the pavlova for decades. An Australian story credits Bert Sachse, a chef at a Perth hotel, with creating it in the 1930s. New Zealand points to its old cookbooks and magazines: food historian Helen Leach found pavlova recipes printed there from the late 1920s, including small coffee and walnut meringues called pavlova cakes in 1928 and a large meringue cake topped with cream and fruit in 1929, years before the Perth claim.

The plot thickens further. Later researchers found that baked meringue cakes topped with cream and fruit existed earlier in Europe and America, and that the name may have been attached to an older idea. The friendly rivalry continues regardless, and both countries happily eat it.

The science of the marshmallow middle

What makes a pavlova different from a plain meringue is its center. A spoonful of cornstarch and a dash of vinegar help the beaten egg whites stay moist and soft inside while the outside bakes into a thin, crisp shell. A low oven and slow cooling, with the door ajar, help prevent cracks, though a few cracks are part of its charm and get hidden under cream.

Superfine sugar dissolves faster than regular sugar, which helps avoid sticky beads of syrup weeping from the baked shell.

How to serve it

Pavlova is a summer dessert, and since Christmas falls in summer in the Southern Hemisphere, it is a star of holiday tables. Top it just before serving with softly whipped cream and fresh fruit: kiwifruit, strawberries and passionfruit pulp are classic. Assemble at the last minute, because the cream softens the shell quickly.

Mini pavlovas, sometimes called pavlova nests, are popular for parties, and some families make a pavlova roll, a meringue sheet rolled around cream and fruit. Store-bought pavlova bases are sold in supermarkets across both countries, a sign of how central the dessert is to everyday celebrations.

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