It's not common, for sure - at least in America (not sure about possibilities in the UK, mainland Europe, Japan, Hong Kong etc - comment please?). But I'm happy to inform you that I've found one coffee-shop in the Bay Area (California) that does have meringues - and they're quite excellent - albeit they do tend to be of a somewhat stouter, heartier variety than those I tasted elsewhere. Of course, for me the epitome (probably erroneously!) of the meringue source will always remain Flury's Tea Room (in Calcutta , and also Delhi for a while) - where the meringue was light and airy, sweet and magical. About seventeen waiters would hover around each table - conjuring up tea, snacks and other delicacies. I was always free to lose myself in it's delicate charms while my parents had tea and important conversations.
Just in case this paragon of pastry gets lost somehow in humanity's upheavals - here's Wikipedia's description and recipe for it. Also if anyone who knows how to make these lovely things may please email me forthwith, I'm willing to consider considerable remuneration (in cash and/or kind) in exchange for meringues on demand!
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Meringue is a type of dessert, originally from France made from whipped egg whites and caster sugar. Some meringue recipes call for adding a binding agent such as cream of tartar. Meringues are often flavoured with a small amount of essence, e.g., almond or coconut, or most commonly, vanilla. They are very light and airy and extremely sweet. It is believed that meringue was invented in the Swiss town of Meiringen by an Italian chef named Gasparini (legend varies in regard to the date of invention, between 1600 and 1720)
When egg whites are beaten, it breaks some of the hydrogen bonds in the protein and causes the protein's structure to unfold. This change in structure leads to the stiff consistency required for meringues.
Typically, 2 whipped egg whites and 113g (4oz) of caster sugar are what compose a single batch of uncooked meringue.
When beating egg whites, they are classified in 3 stages, soft, medium, and stiff peaks.
In an Italian meringue, a hot sugar syrup is whipped into softly whipped egg whites till stiff. This type of meringue is safe to use without cooking. It will not deflate for a long while and can be either used on pies and baked Alaska, or spread on a sheet and baked for meringues.
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And here I was, thinking all those references to white wedding dresses as meringues might have made at least SOME to check in a dictionary what it means!
I seriously doubt that! Actually, quite memorably one person said oh yes I know - it's a latin dance, kind of like salsa...! (she was thinking of merengue)- so at least some of your friends may have been referencing this and wondering, how does a wedding dress remind someone of a latin dance?!
You may be surprised but meringues are easier to find here than they may be in your part of the world. So the more likely top of mind thing, when people see wedding dresses, is the confectionery not the dance, even controlling for the fact that most people cannot spell properly ...
Too foamy for my taste.
Antecedents of MERINGUE in the family from papa! this takes me back to boyhood days whn I first tasted MERINGUE. In 1940s . Family cook NABBU made meringue , beating eggwhites stiff, shaping into a swirl , placing each swirl in ahotcase. No oven in 1940s, WOOD CUPBOARD, WITH TIN LINING inside, and charcoal fire at bottom. U see, the swirl had to be heated just rite ,to retain shape.And mind U,egg yellow was used to make lemon tarts simultaneously ! So U know now whn the current weakness for lemontart and meringue originated !
and you don't get these too at Trader Joe's - possibly n the same aisle as crumpets?? :)
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