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Île Flottante | Traditional Dessert From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas
Île Flottante | Traditional Dessert From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas
Île Flottante | Traditional Dessert From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas
Île Flottante | Traditional Dessert From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas
Île Flottante | Traditional Dessert From France, Western Europe | TasteAtlas

Uova di neve

(Madártej, Zupa nic, Uova di neve, Uova alla neve, Isla flotante, Lapte de pasăre, Oeufs à la neige, Schneenockerln, Schnee-Eier, Kanarimilch, Šnenokle, Paradižot, Bird's milk, Nothing soup, Floating island)

Île flottante or floating island is a popular dessert originating from France, consisting of meringues that are poached in vanilla custard and often topped with caramel sauce and toasted almonds. The meringues are usually made from whipped egg whites, sugar, and vanilla extract.


This classic dessert is one of the staples of French comfort food, although it is popular internationally, sometimes with small tweaks and variations, in countries such as Austria (Schneenockerln), Hungary (Madártej), Croatia and Serbia (šnenokle), and Italy (uova di neve).


In France, it is usually served in bistros, canteens, and hip restaurants. Although it is an extremely popular dessert, its inventor still remains unknown. Light, fluffy, and low in fat, floating island is believed to taste the best when served cold (or in some cases, at room temperature) after a big meal, although it can be consumed on its own, as a tasty mid-day treat.

and  7 more regions

Pairing tips

Wine Appellation

Barsac

Barsac is a white dessert wine that gets its name from a small village south of Bordeaux in the south-west of France. It is mainly produced from Semillon grapes,... Read more

Wine Appellation

Sainte-Croix-du-Mont

Sainte-Croix-du-Mont is a French appellation for sweet white wines located in Bordeaux. Muscadelle, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sémillon are the principal grape ... Read more

Wine Appellation

Champagne

Popularly known as the gold standard of sparkling wine, true Champagne only comes from the actual Champagne region in France. It is produced using the so-called ... Read more

Recipe variations

  • 4.7

    Classic Île Flottante

    READY IN 55min

    This recipe was adapted from cuisine.larousse.fr and shows how to make a traditional île flottante which consists of one large piece of ring-shaped meringue floating in a bowl of vanilla custard.

  • 4.5

    Île Flottante with Caramel and Beer

    READY IN 1h 15min

    The famous chef Anne Sophie Pic, whose restaurant Maison Pic has three Michelin stars, is the author of this floating island version. She uses blonde beer, which pairs perfectly with sugar and gives the caramel a beautiful golden hue.

Uova di neve Authentic recipe

PREP 25min
COOK 30min
READY IN 55min

This recipe was adapted from cuisine.larousse.fr and shows how to make a traditional île flottante which consists of one large piece of ring-shaped meringue floating in a bowl of vanilla custard.

WHERE TO EAT The best Uova di neve in the world (according to food experts)

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