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I just learned about this strange substance called Vegemite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite). According to Wiki:
Vegemite is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacture, and various vegetable and spice additives. The taste may be described as salty, slightly bitter, and malty - somewhat similar to the taste of beef bouillon. The texture is smooth and sticky, much like peanut butter.
Yowza! I guess since I've never been to Oz or NZ, it's understandable why I've never tasted the stuff. Sounds incredibly nasty, but I shouldn't judge before I taste it. After all, if you read about how cheese is made, you'd think it was disgusting too.
So is this really such a popular condiment down under? Do any Orgahs like to wake up to Vegemite and toast? Or is this a sick joke perpetrated on a gullible world?
Proletariat
03-14-2008, 03:53
It's one of those things where if you put too much on your toast once you can't have it again for 12 months without being sick, but if you get the butter (or cheese spread) to vegemite ratio right it's fantastic.
Pannonian
03-14-2008, 04:00
I just learned about this strange substance called Vegemite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite). According to Wiki:
Vegemite is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacture, and various vegetable and spice additives. The taste may be described as salty, slightly bitter, and malty - somewhat similar to the taste of beef bouillon. The texture is smooth and sticky, much like peanut butter.
Yowza! I guess since I've never been to Oz or NZ, it's understandable why I've never tasted the stuff. Sounds incredibly nasty, but I shouldn't judge before I taste it. After all, if you read about how cheese is made, you'd think it was disgusting too.
So is this really such a popular condiment down under? Do any Orgahs like to wake up to Vegemite and toast? Or is this a sick joke perpetrated on a gullible world?
Or you could try Marmite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite), the British original.
Proletariat
03-14-2008, 04:26
To the uninitiated, Marmite vs Vegemite is like trying to understand the difference between Coke and Pepsi when you've never had anything but water before.
I'm a cultured subject matter expertee though, and I maintain that vegemite is a tantalizing delicacy, while marmite sucks.
:bow:
Big_John
03-14-2008, 05:33
you've just heard of vegimite?
where were you in the 80s?
Proletariat
03-14-2008, 05:41
Vegemite was popular in the 80s?
Big_John
03-14-2008, 05:44
Vegemite was popular in the 80s?men at work was.
Proletariat
03-14-2008, 05:47
And Crocodile Dundee.
:shame:
Fortunately for Australia these days are in the past.
Baby Boomer
03-14-2008, 05:47
Hehehe...:beam:
Over here in Aus I know quite a few people who loved Vegemite.
Put it this way; it was so popular it become one of Australia's trademark things, like the Opera House and a Kangaroo or Koala.
Was until Kraft, that American company bought it, anyway. I never got into the stuff; I had one bite and dismissed it as sour:embarassed: .
Well, I remember being in middle school when Men At Work was on the radio. (Hey kids, gather 'round, and listen to old gramps tell you about the before-time, when we got our music on harmful rays beamed through the air ...)
The weirdest thing is that Mrs. Lemur, who has cheffed some high-class restaurants in her time, has never fed me Vegemite. Oh, she's served up every other weird food known to man, but not that. Now I'm curious. But I don't want to try it by myself -- as Prole explains, there's a world of difference between trying a new food wrongly and rightly. I'll need a native guide to show me how to eat the stuff.
-edit-
Was until Kraft, that American company bought it, anyway.
According to the Wiki article, Kraft bought into the Vegemite brand in the 1920s. That's one long grudge you're carrying ...
LittleGrizzly
03-14-2008, 06:19
If its anything like Marmite its an insult to food!!
CountArach
03-14-2008, 06:21
Vegemite is horrible. Period.
But if for some reason people want to try it - spread it VERY thinly over buttered toast. It has a very strong flavour and as such if you spread it like Jam or Honey it will be overpowering.
Tribesman
03-14-2008, 11:19
Wasn't this stuff created by a drunk wizard in fourecks doing some drunken cooking .
Somebody Else
03-14-2008, 11:21
I like eating marmite with a spoon. Vegemite is insipid.
Marmite is delicious and very nutritious, it isn't for everybody though.
Dutch_guy
03-14-2008, 12:18
Yowza! I guess since I've never been to Oz or NZ, it's understandable why I've never tasted the stuff. Sounds incredibly nasty, but I shouldn't judge before I taste it. After all, if you read about how cheese is made, you'd think it was disgusting too.
Cheese is disgusting, and it doesn't look like this Vegemite is any better.
:balloon2:
Take it from an Aussie, Vegemite is absolutely vile, disgusting and down-right terrible. It's pretty much the equivalent taste of spreading road-kill on your toast. Do your taste-buds a favour and don't try it.
Both Vegemite and Marmite are the work of the devil. There are no two ways about it. I have seldomly tasted something so repulsive and disgusting...
Quid
macsen rufus
03-14-2008, 13:17
It's one of those things where if you put too much on your toast once you can't have it again for 12 months without being sick, but if you get the butter (or cheese spread) to vegemite ratio right it's fantastic.
It's simply not possible to put too much Vegemite on toast, not if you're a seasoned Marmite consumer, anyway. Frankly, Vegemite is Marmite for wussies, got no flavour to it at all, as Somebody Else has said. I don't think the Coke?Pepsi analogy does it justice - it's more like Appletise vs. Scrumpy :laugh4:
That said, the advertising slogan for Marmite is "You either love it or hate it". Personally I love it, eaten by the spoonful it makes your ears burn ~D And it makes brilliant gravy, about the only way to make potatos interesting :2thumbsup:
Vladimir
03-14-2008, 13:25
Sounds like a mineral. Can you find it in the ground or does it just taste like it?
Crocodile Dundee was funny.
This sounds interesting, never seen or tasted it though.
Reminds me to get a toaster sometime...
Even though I lived in Australia, I never touched the stuff. Saw it everyday on the shelves when shopping but have no clue as to how it tastes.
Sasaki Kojiro
03-14-2008, 15:57
And Crocodile Dundee.
:shame:
Fortunately for Australia these days are in the past.
Crocodile Dundee is the greatest movie of all time :stare:
Justiciar
03-14-2008, 22:23
Marmite, Vegemite.. Bovril.. I'm really quite neutral on the subject. I can't claim to hate them or love them. I certainly don't pursue the stuff. Try it if you're feeling bold. Though be prepared to either wet yourself with glee or vomit all over your children.
pevergreen
03-15-2008, 01:05
I am horrified to see my fellow Aussies beating down an Australian product (of sorts)
Vegemite is the best spread.
Every morning, 4 pieces of Vegemite toast. :yes: Veeery good. On a solo at the 5 week camp I went to, i got a little tub of vegemite. By itself it is a bit strong, but it is sooo nice.
Too much on toast kills it though, i toast the bread lightly, spread a thin layer of margerine then a bit thicker layer of Vegemite, still only covering, not over the top.
Looks almost exactly the same as the original picture.
I'm a cultured subject matter expertee though, and I maintain that vegemite is a tantalizing delicacy, while marmite sucks.
Prole, I thought you were a Southern girl. What brought you into contact with Vegemite and Marmite?
men at work was.
I always wondered why the man in Brussels made him a vegemite sandwich before dousing the group in beer. Now I know.
Do you come from the land down under? Where beer does flow and men plunder?
Beefy187
03-17-2008, 07:38
I picked up a sandwitch with strange black stuff on it. Took a bite and realised its a vegemite.. Needless to say.. I had to toss away my sandwitch
I hate it with passion
MilesGregarius
03-17-2008, 08:45
While travelling once upon a time with an Aussie carrying a big tub of Vegemite and a Brit carrying a little jar of Marmite, myself and another Yank were drafted into doing a blind taste test to settle a debate over the respective qualities of the two. Vegemite won 2-0, though I can see how to more experienced palates Marmite might be preferrable. Unfortunately for the other guinea pig, the Brit was his girlfriend; I don't think he got any for a week.
Quirinus
03-17-2008, 10:26
Hee, wasn't there a series of ad a few years back boasting about how "you either love it, or hate it"? Not sure if it's Vegemite, Marmite or Bovril though.
:sick: I think I'm going to stick to peanut butter.. :dizzy2:
Big_John
03-18-2008, 07:02
Do you come from the land down under? Where beer does flow and men plunder?no, but i am 6'4" and full of muscles.
pevergreen
03-18-2008, 07:33
Do you speaka my language?
Big_John
03-18-2008, 08:14
i can't, in good conscience, continue.. i think we all deserve warning points by now.
Caerfanan
03-18-2008, 11:14
no, but i am 6'4" and full of muscles.
My father used to tell me something like... "the taller the guy, the more noise he makes when he falls"! :laugh4:
If you tell the truth (the "wouded pride shown tends to say yes), you should drink beer and plunder, anyway! :yes:
MilesGregarius
03-18-2008, 11:38
i can't, in good conscience, continue.. i think we all deserve warning points by now.
Why? "Can't ya hear the thunder"?
All must bow before Twiglets: The Ultimate Comestible Incarnation of Yeast Extract.
King Henry V
03-18-2008, 13:22
Pah. Vegemite. Marmite. Pah again. They all frankly pale in comparison to the true flavourfulness and richness of a scraping of Gentleman's relish spread over a really thin (thin enough to be able to read a newspaper headline with the bread on top) slice of toast that has been toasted with a fork over a coal fire, buttered and washed down with a cup of strong tea. That is a proper afternoon repast.
For those who are curious as to the flavour of such a delicacy but are seperated by stormy seas, I recommend this recipe to them: http://www.recipezaar.com/228778
Big_John
03-18-2008, 22:31
Why? "Can't ya hear the thunder"?:skull:
:skull:
You better run, you better take cover.
Proletariat
03-20-2008, 00:11
Prole, I thought you were a Southern girl. What brought you into contact with Vegemite and Marmite?
My Momma is British but lived in Australia for 20 years right before I was born in Maryland. Her whole family lives there still, so I go to Oz every so often to visit all my aunties and uncles and cousins down there.
Vegemite is a pain to find in the states. My cousin down there told me that it was banned up here, I thought he was just joking around or confused or something, but then I saw this (http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/vegemite.asp) today.
You might need to find an Aussie buddy to try this stuff, Lemur. I called the local World Market (http://www.worldmarket.com/custserv/store_locator.jsp) and the lady told me they don't sell it anymore because of the FDA. :/
Anyway, if you do get your hands on some of this life changing stuff, spread the butter first and then just take a dab on the knife with the vegemite and spread it so it looks like the picture you linked. If it's much darker than that you'll send your tastebuds reeling.
Let us know how it goes if you're lucky enough to snag a jar!
Vegemite is a pain to find in the states.
I used to make my friends and family bring back suitcases filled with Twiglets, Fox's XXX mints, and Maltesers. Then, last fall my parents found this website (http://www.britishdelights.com/default.asp) which supplies imported British goods to the US. I've used them a couple times so far to keep my Twiglet supply topped up, and they're very good. Fast and the prices are entirely reasonable. They have Marmite, Vegemite, and Bovril on sale here (http://www.britishdelights.com/marmite.htm), though it appears that Bovril is currently out of stock.
Artorius Maximus
03-20-2008, 02:12
No offense to anyone here, but Vegemite doesn't look that good. I'd rather have jam on my toast, or even...butter, and thats something I have rarely on bread.
CountArach
03-20-2008, 08:21
You better run, you better take cover.
*Fiddle solo*
AZN Pr... I mean Australian pride.
Why do people judge vegemite just from the way it looks... sure it looks foul. But the pride in me compels me to tell you to at least try the stuff before you knock it. If that makes any sense at all. ~:joker:
I had it when I was younger but over the years I've grown to actually dislike it. Speaking of spreads, let's talk about Nutella. :smug2:
Nutella (http://www.nutellausa.com/) is great, I always have some in my kitchen. :2thumbsup:
Uesugi Kenshin
03-20-2008, 21:44
Nutella (http://www.nutellausa.com/) is great, I always have some in my kitchen. :2thumbsup:
Nutella is part of the breakfast of champions. Which for me includes toast/bread with nutella and coffee. Unfortunately my mom hasn't been buying any when she goes to the store and the stuff doesn't come in huge jars like over in Germany. :no:
Nutella on vanilla wafers, you can make them like Oreos. :2thumbsup:
Samurai Waki
03-20-2008, 23:46
Every great once and awhile when I actually make breakfast, I usually thinly spread marmite on toast, Make some baked beans, put it on the toast, and then put a Soft-boiled egg on top of the beans. Heaven on a plate.
Though the Wife disagrees.
All must bow before Twiglets: The Ultimate Comestible Incarnation of Yeast Extract.
Okay, you forced me to look Twiglets (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twiglets) up. "Sticks dipped in marmite," eh? Sounds like something for the true connoisseur.
Thanks to pevergreeen and prole for giving me preparation instructions. I may have to give this stuff a try. After all, I once at roasted goat's head just to be polite to my Moroccan host, so why wouldn't I also enjoy a strange Australian yeast paste?
Okay, you forced me to look Twiglets (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twiglets) up. "Sticks dipped in marmite," eh? Sounds like something for the true connoisseur.
They have a strange flavor and the texture is like a Cheeto-shaped pretzel. When people taste them for the first time, they rarely like them. The odd thing, though, is that even though you don't like them, you keep eating more. After a couple handfuls, dislike turns to neutrality. After a couple bags (not all at once, obviously) many people start to actively like them. I don't know anyone who liked Twiglets the first time they tried them.
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