Meringue vs. Pavlova

Can anybody tell me the difference between meringue and pavlova apart from their size? i know that a meringue is supposed to be totally dried out without moisture that's why it's crispy and light. How about pavlova? i've made it a few times but the centre's always soft and like cooked egg white ( in a nice way). Is it how pavlova's supposed to be?


Another question is how do you make perfect meringues? mine is always a bit chewy inside, and somehow sticky on the surface. I did search on the net and learnt that they're supposed to be dry inside out, not chewy and that the surface shouldn't be sticky. Is it that I haven't given enough baking time or that it's the moisture of Hong Kong?


Any thoughts? Thanks!

Pavlova is supposed to be a bit squidgy, but I dunno how yours is really like :) As for the meringues, there might be different reasons why yours are not completely dried out- moisture in hk could be it so try baking them longer or at least leave them in the oven to dry out before taking them out. you should also check the types of sugar you use (shd be superfine sugar) and whether the eggs were beaten to stiff peaks. www.crystalfoodcake.com