Let’s understand the idea of a meringue, its origins, and recipe as well as the different ways in which it is used.   

Meringue is a Dessert 

As it is associated with baking, meringue can be classified as a dessert or a candy that is made using egg whites and sugar. Over the years, the technique of making meringue has been modified and altered. Based on these variations, it can be further classified as Swiss, Italian, and French meringue.   

Origins & Variety  

It is believed that meringue was the creation of a pastry chef from a Swiss town called Meiringen. The chef Gasparini was accredited with the invention of this dessert-like item in the year 1720. Meringue is simply a mix of beaten egg whites and sugar. As the dessert moved to different places, chefs adapted it to their styles. While the original Swiss recipe is that of a dense meringue, Italian and French have created raw and cooked meringue respectively.   

You will also find a variety of soft and hard meringues, where the former is a great layering for cakes, the latter serves as a delicious dried meringue baked in the oven till it’s crispy and crunchy.   

Meringue is widely used in Baked Desserts 

Though meringue was originally itself a dessert, baked in the shape of kisses, it is more commonly used for pies, puddings, ice cream, and cakes as a topping. They usually have an ivory color and it is the kind of sugar used that makes all the difference. For instance, Hot syrup sugar Italian meringue is used for puddings and ice cream whereas a dried warm meringue is used for an American dessert like baked Alaska or lemon pie.