Pavlova

Pavlova is a gluten free dessert made primarily of egg whites and sugar. It’s traditionally served with whipped cream and fruit. The dish is a quintessential Christmas day dessert for both Australians and New Zealanders.

Pavlova takes its name from the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who toured New Zealand and Australia in the 1920s. Both countries claim to be the birthplace of the dessert, and each has a slightly different approach to making it. Australian pavlova is generally crunchier and has a classic topping of passionfruit. New Zealand pavlova is more marshmallowy inside, and most often served with slices of kiwifruit.

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Marshmallow pavlova with pineapple curd from How Sweet Eats

The origin of any recipe is difficult to trace, and many believe that pavlova evolved across many different cultures. The oldest-recorded version of this type of dessert includes the Austrian Habsburgs-era Spanische Windtorte. German-speaking immigrants to the US later brought other types of meringue cakes, such as the Schaum Torte and Baiser Torte. However, no other countries have embraced pavlova quite like Australia or New Zealand. For more about how pavlova came to be, you might be interested in this BBC article.

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Chocolate pavlova from Armando Brenlha via Unsplash

Pavlova are quite easy to make, but require a slow and low bake, so they’re not the quickest dessert option. You’ll also have lots of egg yolks left over from making the meringue, so a curd is a great way to use them! I recommend serving with whichever fruits are in season in your area of the world. Pavlova is endlessly customizable. You’ll find dairy-free, vegan, low FODMAP and keto recipe options below, too.

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