AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND. — The pavlova is a traditional Australian dessert consisting of a base made of a meringue crust topped with whipped cream and fresh fruits such as kiwi fruit, passionfruit and strawberries.
There is some dispute as to whether the pavlova was actually created in Australia or New Zealand. Meringue cakes, very similar to modern-day pavlovas, were evident throughout much of Europe around 100 years before pavlova was said to be created.
The Australian legend states that the pavlova was created by Herbert Sachse, the chef of the Hotel Esplanade in Perth, Western Australia, on October 3, 1935. It is said to have been given the name “Pavlova” by Harry Naire from the Perth hotel, in honour of the visiting Russian ballerina, Anna Pavlova.
Naire is alleged to have stated that the raised sides of the dessert reminded him of a tutu.
New Zealand may have a greater claim to the pavlova, however.
Recipes for pavlova appeared in a magazine and a cookery book from 1929 and 1933, whilst extra notes from a biographer state that it was invented in 1926 after Anna Pavlova’s visit.
What is clear is that, while the dessert may have been invented in New Zealand, it was undisputedly named in Australia.
