Pavlova
- Date
- c. 1929-1935 (disputado) · confidence low
- Place
- Wellington, New Zealand
- Credited to
- Cooks of New Zealand and Australia (disputed)
- Field
- Life & health
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
A meringue dessert with a crisp crust and soft centre, topped with cream and fruit, named after the Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova after her 1926 tour of Australasia. Both countries claim its invention, with recipes dated between 1929 and 1935.
The first New Zealand recipe for 'pavlova cake' dates from 1929 (according to Helen Leach); in 1926 a Sydney company published a layered jelly 'pavlova', which is not today's dessert; in Australia it is credited to Herbert Sachse in Perth (1935). Culinary historiography leans towards a New Zealand origin, with no consensus. The place is a New Zealand marker.
What it led to
- a typical Christmas and summer dessert in New Zealand and Australia
- a culinary rivalry between the two countries
- variants with local fruits such as kiwifruit and passion fruit