Food Fight

"The Australians have long claimed the light and fluffy meringue dessert as their own - based on a cake Bert Sachse baked at Perth's Esplanade Hotel in 1935. New Zealanders say no - their grandparents were scoffing pavlovas much earlier."      

Read the rest of this article here .

No, this photo is not a meringue, it is a lamington....and Australians can claim to have been the originators of this cake.  The other great New Zealand/ Australia debate - the Anzac Biscuit  gets joint custody.

Thanks to research by Professor Helen Leach of Otago Universities Anthropology Department and the Australian Food Historian Michael Symons this arguement can now be laid to rest.  As an Australian living in New Zealand, this debate always comes up whenever a pavlova appears on the table.

Actually I've known New Zealanders are the true originators of the pavlova for most of my life -  because I can't make a pavlova.  Every New Zealand woman (and a few New Zealand men) I've met, can make a pavlova.  A high  white, crisp on the outside, meltingly soft on the inside, pavlova.   Me -it doesn't matter which recipe I us or, how long or slow I cook it, it is always a disaster.  Too dark on the outside with undissolved sugar weeping through the sides and the base superglued to the baking paper.

As a well brought up Australian girl,  I can make lamingtons.  Airy, light sponge, dipped in  chocolate icing and rolled in coconut, lamingtons.

Are these debates unique to New Zealand and Australia or do other neighbouring countries have similar "food fights"?

Go here  for a recipe.
 

Comments

[Lady Amalthea]

I haven't heard of similar neighboring countries' debates, but then again Canada and the States are usually making fun of each other rather than fighting over food origins...

[Niki]

Oh yummy yummy yummy yummy!!! That's such an impressive display of lamingtons.
A lamington drive to raise money for the local under 12 netball team, perhaps? ;-) Or a local specialty to demonstrate to your Japanese student?
My friend used to make lamingtons when we were at high school - what a treat! I still use her recipe for the butter cake she used; The best I've ever found.

[Barbara]

Nice to see you hear Lady A.

Niki - I've only ever made lamingtons with sponge cake. They would be nice with butter cake I imagine...and Ryoko is impressed with our local specialty.

[Lady Amalthea]

Barbara, I don't think I've ever had a Lamington (horror of horrors); might you be convinced to post a recipe?

[clare eats]

It also continues to bands, film stars and horses ;)

[Kelly]

Your tower of lamingtons is very impressive. Great photo!

[saffron]

Great post here Barbara. Lamingtons are one of my favourite cakes. And I say it Australian all the way :)

[Barbara]

Clare, Kelly and Safffron - thanks for calling by.

Lady A - I've added a recipe link to the post.

[saffron]

Thanks for adding this post to Omnivoribus Australis. Should be interesting to see what kind of reactions you get to this cakely treat!