What is the difference between French, Swiss and Italian meringue?

Baking & Technique fundamentalsclass-q-and-a

From our September–October class Q&A. We’ve grouped related student questions and prepared this answer from the course reference.

What is the difference between French, Swiss and Italian meringue?

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1 reply

French meringue whips sugar into egg whites without cooking the syrup first. Swiss warms whites and sugar together over a water bath before whipping. Italian streams cooked sugar syrup into whipping whites.

They are different methods, not interchangeable instructions for the same batter. The course describes Italian as particularly stable, but you should use the method and proportions specified in your macaron or frosting recipe.

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