Pavlova: An Aussie/New Zealand Dessert

By Anna Hamman 

As an Australian, I am often asked, “What is a uniquely Australian food?” Besides foods that are still eaten by some indigenous peoples who continue to live off the land, such as Kangaroo or Wichetty Grubs, there are few uniquely Aussie foods. Most of us Aussies, who are not clever enough to hunt kangaroo or find food and water in very arid places, eat a blend of European, Asian, American, English and “whatever else you can think of" food. We are especially fond of Thai food, as there is a large population of Thai people and thus lovely Thai restaurants in Australia.

However, there are a few gems that we claim as uniquely Aussie foods and this recipe is one of my favorites. Both Australia and New Zealand lay claim to the dessert, but for arguments sake, let’s just say we invented it together. In 1926, it was created and named after a famous Russian Ballerina Anna Matveyevna Pavlova (1881-1931), who toured New Zealand and Australia in 1926. I love being able to share a piece of my culture and roots through cooking, because it reminds me of how vast and diverse God’s world is.

Pavlova is very easy to make. The passion fruit is one of my favorite parts about the dessert because the sour taste of the fruit offsets the sweet meringue. You will find it hard to find canned passion fruit pulp or fresh passion fruits out of season in Boston---I know because I searched everywhere this winter to find some---but you can definitely substitute passion fruit with berries or canned mango.