Truth about pavlova outside Aus revealed
It seems the rest of the world is just learning what pavlova is (and the food experts at taste are baffled).
It all began when Nara Smith, a food influencer who wears high-fashion outfits while cooking aesthetically-pleasing dishes from scratch, decided to make an ice-cream pavlova ‘cake’ for her daughter’s birthday – two meringue rounds layered with ice-cream, drizzled in fresh passionfruit pulp and topped with berries. (Here’s the video, in case you’re curious.)
Aside from the fact that we were all shocked that anyone could bake anything while wearing THAT much lace (she always looks gorgeous, though), a glance at the video’s comments had us floored.
Loads of people were saying: “I’ve never even heard of a pavlova.” While many others were firing back with: “Why doesn’t anybody know what a pavlova is???”
“What is a pavlova?”
Here at taste, we thought everyone knew what a pavlova was. But I guess we’ve all been living in our little Australian bubble of meringue bliss without realising that two-thirds of the globe have been unaware of the pavlova’s sugary existence.
Thankfully, the big guns (including our beloved Bluey and her pals) are helping to spread the pavlova gospel far and wide.
In Season 3 Episode 17 of Bluey, Bingo has to choose between eating some pavlova or edamame beans and, of course, chooses pavlova – a wonderful example topped with whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries, mango and kiwifruit.
This episode also made its way into a Reddit thread dedicated to people being surprised at how much Bluey is teaching people overseas about Australia, with the pavlova getting an honorary mention.
In the comments, I could see that many people were talking about their first experiences eating pavlova after watching that episode of Bluey. But I was also looking for something else in the comments… and I found it.
Phoenyx1980 wrote: “…we did invent it, regardless of what an Aussie may claim…”
The debate over who invented pavlova
Okay, I’m going to get right into it. New Zealanders claim to have invented the pavlova… but so do Australians.
Australians all let us rejoice… If Peter Dodds McCormick had penned our national anthem in the early 1900s instead of 1878, I just know he would have had a plate of pavlova in front of him while doing so.
We Aussies just can’t get enough of pavlova. It’s as synonymous as backyard cricket and lamb chops over the summer, and no festive table feels complete without that glossy, cream-topped, fruit-laden masterpiece taking centre stage.
One thing both countries can agree on is that the dessert was named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured both countries in 1926. But that’s when matters get blurry.
New Zealanders say…
A Wellington hotel chef created the dessert in 1926 as a tribute to Anna Pavlova. The meringue and cream topping were said to resemble her fluffy tutu.
There is also some evidence of early recipes called ‘pavlova’ published in New Zealand cookbooks from the early 1930s, though some say these versions are more like layered cakes that resemble a French dacquoise.
Aussies say…
Chef Herbert ‘Bert’ Sachse created the pavlova at Perth’s Esplanade Hotel in 1935. The house manager, Harry Nairn, remarked Bert’s cake was “as light as Pavlova” and the name stuck.
In a 1973 interview with Woman’s Day mag, Bert said he was asked by his bosses to make something “different and unique” as a cake or sweet.
“I had always regretted that the meringue cake was invariably too hard and crusty, so I set out to create something that would have a crunchy top and would cut like a marshmallow,” he said. “After a month of experimentation – and many failures – I hit upon the recipe, which survives today.”
Whichever story you believe, one thing is for certain, both countries are as passionate about pavlova as they are about outdoing each other at rugby.
RELATED: 21 very Aussie pavlovas >
We’re claiming the BEST pavlova!
Whether or not New Zealand has any claim over invented pavlova or not is irrelevant when we can undoubtedly say that we have THE best pavlova ever right here on taste.com.au.
It’s our #1 pavlova recipe on site with more than 100 glowing reviews, proving that this is the pav to beat when it comes to impressing your guests.
“Beautiful pav. Guests raved about it. Very generous amount of mixture. Served with cream, strawberries, blueberries and passion fruit pulp with a dusting of icing sugar. Looked amazing. Will definitely make again,” said taste member Susan.
“Omg! My pav was amazing and so high! I have never mastered a pav but, wham! Fabulous recipe,” praised member Yummo76.
Here’s the full recipe for our favourite pavlova recipe, which you can hurry and bookmark. In the meantime, our tips below will show you how you can perfect it.
RELATED: 23 of the best pavlova topping ideas >
So, what’s the secret to the best pavlova?
Yes, we know you can buy the Pavlova Magic egg from the supermarket, which is easy and results in an okay pav, but there is truly nothing like making your own.
All you need to do is separate a few eggs and get a grasp on the whipping and cooling, and you can nail this meringue dessert minus any stress.
To help you along, here are our top tips for mastering pavlova, so yours turns out just like ours (and Nara’s!) – perfectly crisp on the outside with that soft, fluffy marshmallow centre we all love.
1. Use room-temp eggs
“Room-temperature eggs are the best choice because cold egg whites take longer to beat, so they don’t incorporate as much air, which is what makes meringue light and fluffy,” says food writer Alison Adams.
“Bring eggs to room temperature before separating – set aside for at least 20 minutes after removing from the fridge.”
2. Keep the yolks and whites separate
“Don’t allow any egg yolk to spill into the egg whites – the tiniest bit of egg yolk in the white can stop the white from aerating,” Alison warns.
3. Don’t overbeat
“If you overbeat the meringue mixture after adding the sugar, your meringue may crack and collapse during baking,” says Alison. “To avoid this, only beat the mixture until the sugar dissolves.”
You can test if the mixture is ready by rubbing a little between your fingertips. If it feels grainy, then beat for a little longer. If it feels smooth, then stop beating immediately.
4. Cool the pav in the oven
Make sure your pavlova is cooled in the oven (with the door ajar and the oven turned off!), so that it dries out completely using the residual heat of the oven. You want it to be completely cooled and dry before you take it out of the oven, to prevent moisture getting in and causing cracking or collapsing.
BONUS TIP: “If this isn’t your best pavlova recipe attempt, add more whipped cream and fresh fruit to disguise the cracks!” says Alison.
5. Guarantee a crispy shell
Taste food director Michelle Southan has a trick for keeping a pav shell nice and crispy: adding a touch of cream of tartar to your egg whites before you start beating will help to stabilise the meringue, resulting in more structure and volume.
“When testing one of my most recent recipes, the white Christmas pavlova slab, I added up to half a teaspoon of cream of tartar to 6 egg whites, and this made a stunning white and crisp pavlova,” Michelle says. Try it!
6. Bake on dry days, if you can
“It’s best to make pavlovas on dry days with low humidity and no rain – any moisture in the air can stop your mixture from aerating,” says Alison.
Also, if the humidity isn’t below around 50 per cent, the sugar crystals in the pav’s shell, which love water, can absorb the moisture and melt, causing the shell to weep and, perish the thought, even collapse!
BONUS TIP: Moist meringue? Simply pop the pav back into the oven on a baking paper-lined tray (to help draw out moisture) for 10-15 minutes at 90C fan forced.
7. Decorate just before serving
The last thing you want to do is add even more moisture to your pav and have it collapse in front of your guests before you all get to enjoy it!
RELATED: 14 recipes to rescue an ugly pav >
5 cool twists on pavlova
A traditional pav is always a crowd-pleaser, but these cool taste twists will take your meringue game from classic to completely irresistible.
Just like Nara, we adore an ice-cream pav. Although ours is an easier cheat’s version that makes wonderful use of a supermarket pavlova shell, so no baking! Shh, no-one else needs to know, and the toppings are amazing!
We noted that the pavlova in Bluey was topped with strawberries and kiwifruit, so we just had to add our take, which also stars banana and passionfruit in a fabulous fresh fruit fest!
Interesting fact: our fave foodie, Matt Preston, doesn’t rate kiwifruit on a pav! He says it just doesn’t belong.
“But what does belong is passionfruit,” he says. We’re happy to oblige.
READ MORE: Matt Preston reveals the one fruit you should never put on pavlova >
This is our most viral pavlova of all time! Made with petite pavlovas, and topped with chocolate cream, Peppermint Crisp bars and fresh raspberries, it’s easy to see why.
It not only looks like a wreath, says Michelle, but it also tastes festive, making it the perfect treat for entertaining this holiday season.
“A fun festive bake; easy to make; tasty and delicious; great for a crowd to grab a piece; a great go-to if lacking time,” says taste member Dori C, who gave the recipe 5 stars.
We can understand why Nara drizzles so much fresh passionfruit pulp on her ice-cream pavlova – it’s just so tangalicious!
The topping on this pavlova, one of our oldest and top-rated pavs, features 2 fresh passionfruit, along with some sliced kiwifruit and mango, giving off sensational summer vibes.
One of our most modern spins on a pav, this one is ‘baked’ in the air fryer, so we know it will be super popular this year. It only takes 30 minutes to cook, making it perfect for the busy festive period.
Topped with gorgeous fresh red raspberries and curls of Caramilk chocolate, there is no kiwifruit in sight – just for Matt Preston!
READ MORE: >> The news that could ruin your Christmas pavlova
Originally published as Truth about pavlova outside Aus revealed
