Searching Pavlova

I was first introduced the Pavlova during my company's christmas party back in 2006. I did not like it one little bit. It has no substance as it melts in your mouth. It is overly sweet as it is basically made out of nothing but egg white and sugar. At that moment, I thought to myself : Who would actually like a cake like this ?

However, as I am getting to know Australia a little bit more day by day, I came to realize that Pavlova is not a cake. It is actually a dessert, like Soufflé. It is not only just a dessert but a traditional Australian/New Zealand dessert. Now I can understand why Australians love Pavlova.

Everyone knows that Australian and New Zealand are always in constant competition. Even this too has caused some heated debate between the two countries claiming the origin of the Pavlova. So as usual, I being as curious as ever did some googling and found out about the history of the Pavlova. Come to think of it, I wonder why I even bother ? :>

Anyway, for the rest of you who are curious, the famous Pavlova is actually the name of a famous Russian danseuse who visited Australia and New Zealand in the 1920s and enthralled her audiences with the grace of her dance. In the event to honour her during her visit there, chefts and cooks in both countries had invented a dessert to capture her light, airy spirit and appearance.

Anna Pavlova

At that time, there was no generally agreed basic rule nor was there a list of the essential ingredients and an agreed method for making a pavlova. However, as time goes by, people wanted to know the origin of the Pavlova and the traditional recipe for it. The recipe, including a list of its essential ingredients and a matching method for making the ever sought after “pavlova”, was created by Chef Herbert Sachse at the Hotel Esplanade in Perth, Australia, in 1935.

Today, there are more than one recipe of Pavlova out there but the basic ingredients and methods are still the same. So I too have tried making one - my own Peach and Strawberry Pavlova.