Over a decade ago I worked with an older guy (mid-60s) who said that when he was a kid he ate something similar to Vegemite. I think he was from back East.
I want to say he said it was Bovril, but I’m not sure. I think Bovril is/was a British product. Also, it’s (or was) a beef extract. So I don’t know if that’s what my coworker ate as a child. It sounds very familiar though.
Was there an American equivalent of Vegemite, that would have been commonly available in the U.S. in the mid-20th Century? Or was Bovril commonly available, and was that what my coworker ate?
Marmite?
Though I am very much an Australian, I can’t stand Vegemite.
Here’s a list, any stand out?
In my experience, none are very common in the US, though Vegemite is easier to find tucked away in non-specialty grocery stores than Marmite is. East coast might be a different experience.
To Van Diemen’s Land with you!
He definitely did not say Marmite.
Promite sounds vaguely familiar, but it’s an Australian product.
Bovril is the most familiar. Maybe it was more widely available in the U.S. in the '30s/'40s/'50s?
I love the stuff. I’d like to visit Australia so someone can try to prank me with it. Apparently I put it on thicker than they do. 
I loves me the yeast extracts, including cenovis. But I’m unaware of any ‘american’ versions. As a kid, I had to nibble on beef bouillon cubes to get my fix.
And neutronium, of course.
There’s also Bonox if we’re looking for a “B” name
Vegemite, by the way, is a fantastic cooking ingredient. I use it in rich soups and stews with beef, bison, or lamb. Simmered with garlic, shallots, tomatoes and potatoes, and some other vegetables, and meat, it will impart a delicious savory flavor, not unlike a combination of a good dark beer and soy/worcester sauce…
You bet. Hence the reason for the presence of a 2.5 kg container of the stuff in my cupboard. It takes 3-4 years to go through, but it’s worth it.
I could never differentiate between neutronium and vegemite all that well, frankly.
I also have a 2.5 kg pail of Vegemite. 
And I have an opened, but unused jar of Vegemite on my desk at work.
It’s 18 years old and as fresh as the day I bought it in Australia.
