Meringue
Meringue is a foam of whipped egg whites stabilized with sugar, baked into crisp or chewy forms or used as a topping and dessert component.
Egg-white foam: A foam made by incorporating air into the water-and-protein mixture of egg whites. Whipping creates the bubbles that give meringue its volume and structure.
Egg white: The albumen surrounding an egg yolk, composed mainly of water and proteins. It supplies the proteins and water that form meringue’s foam.
French meringue: An uncooked meringue made by gradually whipping sugar into raw egg whites. It is the simplest form and is commonly baked into crisp shells or kisses.
Whipped cream: Cream aerated by beating until its fat network holds a light, soft structure. Unlike meringue, it relies on dairy fat rather than egg-white proteins.
Protein denaturation: A change in a protein’s folded structure caused by heat, agitation, or chemical conditions. Whipping unfolds egg-white proteins so they can stabilize air bubbles.
Sucrose: A disaccharide composed of glucose and fructose, commonly known as table sugar. It is the usual sugar added to stabilize and sweeten meringue.
Swiss meringue: A meringue made by warming egg whites and sugar together before whipping them. Gentle heating produces a smooth, stable foam used in toppings and buttercream.
Marshmallow: A soft confection made from sugar syrup and an aerated stabilizing agent such as gelatin or egg white. It shares a sugar foam but is typically gelatin-set and chewy throughout.
Sugar: A sweet, water-soluble carbohydrate used in foods, especially sucrose from cane or beets. Dissolved sugar strengthens the foam and affects its sweetness, moisture, and texture.
Cream of tartar: A powdered acid, potassium bitartrate, formed during wine production. Its acidity can help egg-white foam resist collapse.