In this blog we are going to tell you about Difference between Meringue and Pavlova, so read this blog carefully to get the complete information.
There are a variety of desserts that are loved by people throughout the world. Do you also like to have dessert after your meal? Two such popular desserts are Meringue and Pavlova. Both Meringue and Pavlova are prepared by baking a blend of stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar. However, due to the similarity between the main ingredients most people usually consider them the same. But there are a significant number of differences between them as they do not only differ in appearance but also taste. Continue reading the article to know more about Meringue and Pavlova and how they differ from each other.
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What is Meringue?
Meringue is a kind of sweet that is prepared by baking a mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar until the mixture becomes crisp. It is used as a common candy in French, Swiss, Italian and Polish cuisines and is light, airy, and sweet. Most meringues have a solid and crisp texture completely. They are used in various types of confectionery such as cookies, lemon meringue pie, merveilleux, macrons, pavlova, and dacquoise. Traditionally, it is prepared from whipped egg whites and sugar and sometimes people add an acidic ingredient like lemon, vinegar, or cream of tartar in it. On the other hand, some people also add binding agents like salt, flour, or gelatin to the eggs. When the eggs are beaten, egg whites expand and they can expand up to 8 times their original volume. Sugar is added to the dessert to provide its sweetness along with stabilizing the eggs’ white. But sugar can also decrease the lightness and volume so add the sugar gradually. Make sure that you do not add sugar before you whip the eggs at least four times.
What is Pavlova?
Pavlova is a dessert that utilizes meringue as a base. This dessert has a crispy crust and it is soft, light, and moist from the inside. Fruits and whipped cream are usually topped in their topping. It is considered that it is named after Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova. In the preparation of Pavlova, eggs are beaten to a stiff consistency, and caster sugar is gradually added before folding in an acid. Corn flour is added and the mixture is slowly baked just like meringue. But unlike meringue which has a solid consistency completely, Pavlova has a soft and moist center and it is crispy and crunchy from the outer shell. Its soft Centre is like a marshmallow and the reason behind this is the addition of cornflour which results in a marshmallow-like center. Traditionally, this dessert is topped with whipped cream and soft fresh fruits including strawberries, kiwi fruits, and passion fruit. You can also purchase readymade pavlovas at the market and decorate them as you want.
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Main Differences between Meringue and Pavlova
Besides having the similarity that both the desserts are made from egg white and sugar, they have a significant number of differences that make them different in taste and appearance. Here are the main differences between Meringue and Pavlova as mentioned below:
- Meringue is a kind of sweet that is prepared by baking a mixture of stiffly beaten egg whites and sugar until the mixture becomes crisp while Pavlova is a dessert with meringue as a base.
- Meringue is crispy and crunchy completely which means it is crispy from the outside and inside both. On the other hand, Pavlova is crispy from the outside but is soft and light on the inside.
- There is no requirement for cornflour or cornstarch in the recipe for meringue while Pavlova utilizes cornflour in preparation. This is the reason the addition of cornflour results in making the center of Pavlova a marshmallow.
Conclusion
Both Meringue and Pavlova are delicious so you should try them both. However, if you like something that is completely crispy then meringue is a good choice. But if you want to have the taste of crispy and soft together then you should consider trying Pavlova. The main difference between Meringue and Pavlova is the use of cornflour in Pavlova which provides it with a marshmallow-like texture. We hope that this article was helpful and you have got the difference between Meringue and Pavlova.
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