Connor Donaldson & Ryoma Suzuki
Few outside the Pacific have heard of the ‘pavlova wars’, but that does not make this century-long international conflict any less real.
Pavlova is a sweet and airy meringue cake, crisp and crunchy with a marshmallow centre, served with whipped cream and fresh fruit. But home chefs of both Australia and New Zealand claim their country invented it. So where did it really come from?
Pavlova takes its name from Anna Pavlova, a ballerina who became a celebrity in both countries in 1926. The earliest Australian claim asserts a hotel chef created the dish in 1935. However, research by leading pavlova experts shows a conspicuous absence of Australian pavlova up to 1940, whereas New Zealand recipes date back to 1929. So does that mean the case is closed?
Not exactly. Current scholarly opinion is that pavlova lacked a single, unique origin. Meringue cake recipes had been around long before the dish got its iconic name. But if you still want a final answer, I would like to remind you that it is no coincidence that the dessert is best served with kiwifruit.
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