Pavlova

Pavlova is a dessert with the title of inventor fought over by Australia and New Zealand. But actually, it should be credited to America, as well as Austria and Germany where the first known origin of the dessert comes from.

The meringue, cream, and fresh fruit layered dessert may sound simple enough, but the first known recipe of a similar creation dates back to the 18th century when Austrian Habsburgs ate a masterpiece of a dessert called a Spanische Windtorte. The dessert was beautiful to look at for its intricate piping of the meringue, and once cut open, its colorful layers of fresh fruit and cream. Pavlova, a world-class ballerina, had the dessert made and named in her honor. However, the pavlova specifically named after she was actually a layered gelatin dessert. It was only in 1929 that a New Zealand chef created a meringue dessert with cream and kiwi fruit that was inspired by Anna Pavlova’s tutu. This led to the New Zealanders’ claim that they invented the pavlova we have today.

The Australians also claimed to be the inventors of the modern pavlova, because when they created a crunchier meringue layered with cream and passionfruit in a Perth hotel in 1926, it was stated by a guest that it was, “as light as Pavlova.” Therefore the chef decided to name it after Anna Pavlova. So, the Australians like to believe that they created the modern dessert and the New Zealanders named it. Although neither New Zealand nor Australia truly holds the title, the dessert is still incredibly popular and will always be a part of their cultures and histories.

Country: Australia and New Zealand