A meringue dessert with a crisp exterior shell and soft, marshmallow interior — topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit; the subject of a passionate New Zealand vs. Australia origin debate.
Named for a ballerina
Pavlova is named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova (1881–1931), who toured Australia and New Zealand in 1926. The dessert was created in her honour — exactly which country and which chef created it first remains one of food history’s most contentious debates.
The New Zealand vs. Australia dispute
Food historian Helen Leach’s research (The Pavlova Story, 2008) found the earliest documented New Zealand recipe in a 1929 booklet, and New Zealand’s earliest recipe predates Australia’s. However, Australian sources contest this. Both nations claim the pavlova as their national dessert and a core part of their Christmas and summer food identity.
What makes it different from meringue
Regular meringue is pure egg white and sugar. Pavlova has two additional ingredients:
- Cornflour — mixed with the sugar; creates a softer, more stable interior
- Vinegar or lemon juice — the acid interferes with full protein bonding, keeping the interior soft and marshmallow-like
The result is a crisp outer shell that shatters at a fork’s pressure, revealing a chewy, cloud-like interior.
The Christmas connection
In Australia and New Zealand, pavlova is inseparable from Christmas and summer celebrations. Fresh kiwifruit and strawberries, whipped cream, and passionfruit pulp are the canonical toppings, making it a celebration of summer produce.
Find more foods by letter
Pavlova starts with P and ends with A. Browse other foods along the same letter.
Foods that contain a letter from "Pavlova":