If you have been on either the New Zealand or one of the Australian programs you may very well have encountered the famous pavlova. For those of you who haven’t eaten this treat, the pavlova is a meringue with a crisp crust and soft, light inside and is traditionally decorated with a topping of whipped cream and fresh, soft fruit, such as kiwifruit, passionfruit and strawberries, as pictured below.
Pavlova is found in both countries and both countries call it theirs. So is pavlova truly a Kiwi or Aussie creation?
At least both Australia and New Zealand agree the dessert was named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, pictured left, who toured both countries in 1926. Because the dessert’s consistency was as light as air like the dancer and the meringue itself also resembled a tutu, the dessert was dubbed pavlova. The debate comes about as to where the dessert was actually first created.
Formal research suggests that New Zealand is the more probable source with culinary anthropologist Dr. Helen Leach from the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand compiling a library of cookbooks containing 667 pavlova recipes from more than 300 sources with the earliest dated recipe being from New Zealand.
However, an article appearing in The Age had Margaret Fulton, one of Australia’s leading culinary experts, noting that pavlova comes from Australia because of the way it’s made and the use of passionfruit. Fulton said the use of passionfruit as a topping makes it a true pavlova, and as New Zealanders will not always use passionfruit, it is not a true pavlova. She also pointed out that Australians will always shape the pavlova crust to make it look like a tutu as a true pavlova should, but New Zealanders will generally cook it in a round tin and then just turn it out.
We in the AUIP office can’t help be a bit biased and believe it to be a Kiwi dish, but Eleanor and her Aussie friends have the opposing opinion. What do you think?
Check back on the blog next week for Sara’s very special pavlova recipe so you can enjoy it back in the U.S.
