Meringue. No, it’s not a Dominican style of dance (that’s merengue), it’s a delicious mixture of airy beaten egg whites and sugar that tastes like literal angel clouds. It’s that fluffy white puff that sits on top of your lemon pie, the shield that protects the ice cream in a baked alaska, and the crunchy cookie part in that Instagrammable macaron from that trendy cafe.
It's everywhere and you probably didn't realize it! Learn how to pronounce meringue below so people think you're cultured.
What Exactly Is Meringue?
Despite its French name, meringue actually has its roots in Swiss and Italian cuisine. It was invented in the 17th century in the Swiss town of Meiringen and developed by an Italian chef named Gasparini. While there are many variations on meringue, the most common form is a French meringue AKA the basic meringue.
It’s made by separating eggs into egg whites and beating the egg whites into stiff peaks. They should be stiff enough to flip over and not fall out - that’s when you know you whipped them enough! Then, slowly add in sugar until it’s completely dissolved. It’s super easy to make and with a few simple ingredients you probably already have on hand, you can make yourself some of this magic fluff.
#SpoonTip: When making meringue, use an electric mixer because beating by hand will take wayyy more time and effort (unless you're looking for a good arm workout and want to skip arm day).
Okay, So How The Heck Do You Say It?
You don’t need to be fluent in French to pronounce meringue properly. I’ve heard it pronounced MEER-in-goo, Mer-EN-gay and even Mer-in-GEE. These are all wrong. If you’ve said it wrong before, no judgment- now is just to time to set the record straight!
According to Merriam Webster's Official website, Meringue is pronounced “mer-RANG” (/mə-ˈraŋ). Now that you know how to say it, you have no excuse to not make this easy, beautiful and scrumptious dessert.
Ways To Eat Meringue
My favorite way to enjoy meringue is in cookie form; these delicate, crunchy and sweet cookies melt in your mouth and make you feel like an elegant French girl all at the same time (beret not included). And with Halloween just around the corner, maybe try a ~spooky~ variation of meringue cookies by making candy corn meringue cookies. Feeling artsy? Make some edible terrariums that will satisfy the nature lover and the artist in you.
Don't get super caught up in knowing how to pronounce every word correctly. I can't count how many times I've said "açai" or "gyro" wrong. In the end, words are just words and no matter how you pronounce it, the meringue should be cherished and loved. Now, maybe making those macarons doesn't seem so intimidating after all...