NEW ZEALAND: Pavlova, Quintessentially Kiwi (Recipe)

GUEST POST: My sister BJ shares with us her favorite pavlova recipe, which her Kiwi husband Jeremy staunchly defends as New Zealand’s National Dish.

Pavlova is a meringue-like dessert made from egg whites beaten stiff with caster sugar and cornstarch, baked just enough to have a crisp outer shell but a soft, gooey inside (unlike a meringue, which is usually solid throughout). It is topped with whipped cream and fruit, especially kiwifruit and summer berries.

The fuss-free preparation and all-natural ingredients in the “Pav” is like the country’s slogan itself: 100% Pure New Zealand. It is purity without pretension on a plate, making it beloved by all kiwis and a permanent fixture in celebratory and holiday dinners.

It’s no wonder, then, that the Pav is one of the things in this world that New Zealanders — my husband, Jeremy, included — will staunchly defend to be Kiwi and not Aussie. (It was with undisguised glee that Jeremy saw pavlova to be (correctly!)…