Opinion: Why Aussies are furious a Great Kiwi Bake Off judge called lamingtons a 'Kiwi classic'

A humble lamington has divided Kiwis and Aussies yet again. Photo / 123rf

OPINION:

The humble lamington has had many an upgrade over the years, from lemon curd varieties to Caramilk creations.

But one thing remains true: The lamington is a born Australian delicacy.

However, it seems an established New Zealand chef has gotten her cakes crossed somewhere along the way, dubbing the lamington a "Kiwi classic" on tonight's debut season 2 episode of The Great Kiwi Bake Off on Foxtel's LifeStyle Food channel.

Sue Fleischl, who is a judge on the beloved reality baking series and also runs a multimillion-dollar catering company, was discussing the amateur bakers' lamington cooking challenge, and made this stunning declaration: "Lamingtons, a true Kiwi classic".

"To me, a lamington has to be perfectly cooked. Moist on the inside, not too dry, and the trick is to still keep it light and fluffy."

In 2016, Fleischl was inducted into the New Zealand Restaurant Association Hall of Fame in recognition of her contribution and leadership in the hospitality sector.

You would think then, that she would know the true origins of the lamington.

To add fuel to the fire, the show's host, NZ comedian Hayley Sproull, said she "loves a lammy". I think Australians can agree it's affectionately known as a "lammo". Outrageous.

Earlier today I reported The Great Kiwi Bake Off season two premiere refers to the Lamington as "a true Kiwi classic" and here we are with the borders closing.
Good to see our government taking this seriously.#LamingtonGate https://t.co/E1UHEizuKc

— Scott Ellis™️ (@blahblahellis) January 25, 2021

Anyway, back to the lamington's birthplace.

The lamington was first created in Queensland somewhere between the 1890s and 1920s.

The earliest known reference of its official title and creation is from June 1927 in a newspaper article in the now-defunct Sydney Mail, where its name was linked to Lord Lamington, who was Governor of Queensland from 1986 to 1901.

The recipe's inventor is oft disputed, though it's widely believed Lamington's French chef, Armand Galland, created it on short notice at Old Government House in Brisbane in 1900 when he was asked to feed hungry guests with limited ingredients in the kitchen.