Email request: VegemiteJoan emailed me suggesting that I try vegemite, here's the clip:
Run time: 3 min. 7 sec. QuickTime (~13 MB)
Vegemite (pronounced "VEH-gee-mite", IPA: ['vɛdʒɪˌmaɪt]) is the registered brand name for a dark brown, salty food paste mainly used as a spread on sandwiches and toast, though occasionally used in cooking. Popular in Australia and New Zealand Vegemite is semi-jokingly called one of Australia's national foods—it is seldom found elsewhere. Food technologist Dr. Cyril P. Callister invented Vegemite in 1923 when his employer, the Australian Fred Walker Company, had him develop a spread from Brewer's Yeast after war had disrupted the supply of imported yeast spreads.
While highly popular in Australia and New Zealand, it has never been successfully marketed elsewhere. It is notorious for the dislike it generates amongst some foreigners, particularly Americans. Note that Vegemite is not liked by all Australians - many find it far too salty to be palatable - but it remains an iconic symbol of Australia.
Vegemite is often spread with liberal amounts of butter to help to soften the strong taste, or with sliced or melted cheese. It is also a key ingredient in the popular "Cheesymite Scroll" or "Cheddarmite Scroll" produced by bakeries in Australia, a savoury spiral pastry which includes cheese spread and vegemite.
Dude - I had a friend in high school who visited Oz and brought back some vegemite. My tastes have changed since then, but I still gag just a little when I think about it.
You did better than me, it stayed in your mouth at least 10 seconds. :) At my uni accomodation, they served vegemite in bowls and unsuspecting American students spread it thickly on their toast thinking it was chocolate spread. They didn't do that again in a hurry. :)
Hear through the grapevine that it is in fact an acquired taste. You should definitely try it once a day for a week before judging this nutritious if at-first-awful-tasting substance.
I did that routine. And now, there's this six-year-old jar of it on the shelf. Maybe we should collect 'em all and send 'em somewhere like Oz.
As far as strongly flavoured, dark brown salty spreads go, I like Bovril better. It resembles Marmite in those respects but (as you might guess from the name) is made from beef. Its foodological niche is much the same as the yeast spreads, except you can put a teaspoon in a mug of hot water - tada instant beef soup.
Vegemite is best taste. I was rasied on since I was kid. I am Aussie girl who just love the taste.Marmite is gross and taste like crap.Rather my vegemite any day over marmite. I will always have vegemite in cupboard. My new step who American, love taste vegemite on toast. He become vegemite kid just like me.
Vegemite is best taste. I was rasied on since I was kid. I am Aussie girl who just love the taste.Marmite is gross and taste like crap.Rather my vegemite any day over marmite. I will always have vegemite in cupboard. My new step who American, love taste vegemite on toast. He become vegemite kid just like me.
OK, I "googled" vegemite to see if I had spelled it correctly on another person's blog, and your blog came up FIRST ! My kids always asks us to bring them something from our trips, so I brought them T.H.I.S. S.T.U.F.F. ! They haven't begged for anymore gifts since.