# Happy Birthday, Vegemite! **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 24, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123 "2013-10-24T15:37:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/1 "2013-10-24T15:37:44Z")
That Australian staple, [Vegemite](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite), turns 90 years old today (Thursday) or tomorrow, depending on the source. You can see not just a story but also video of Brad Pitt trying Vegemite for the first time [here](http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/australian-icon-vegemite-celebrates-90-years-with-facebook-campaign-to-donate-90000-jars-to-foodbank/story-fneuz8zj-1226739270244). The company, which is actually these days owned by America’s Kraft, has a campaign going to donate 90,000 jars to a food bank, which in some people’s opinion could constitute a crime against humanity. And see the changing shape of Vegemite containers over the decades [here](http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/lifestyle/90-years-of-vegemite-20131024-2w453.html). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/2 "2013-10-24T15:47:06Z")
Almost forgot: I saw a statistic today that said two cans of Vegemite are sold in Australia every three seconds. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/3 "2013-10-24T16:30:41Z")
_\_ How to celebrate… how to celebrate…? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/4 "2013-10-24T17:14:43Z")
Cue Men at Work. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/5 "2013-10-24T17:23:22Z")
The stuff tastes like they are still working their way through that first, 90 year old batch! ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/6 "2013-10-24T17:36:14Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > _\_ > > How to celebrate… how to celebrate…? Brains with vegemite sauce? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/7 "2013-10-24T17:43:26Z")
We’re out of English muffins! ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/8 "2013-10-24T17:47:24Z")
\*Buying bread from a man in Brussels He was six-foot-four and full of muscles I said, “Do you speak-a my language?” He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich And he said, “I come from a land down under Where beer does flow and men chunder Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover.”\* ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/9 "2013-10-24T18:10:59Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > The stuff tastes like they are still working their way through that first, 90 year old batch! It is absolutely disgusting! I truly believe it’s some sort of sick joke the Aussies are pulling on the rest of the world. _“Lo:eek:k…! There’s another American that’s actually going to try the shit! Bwahahahaha!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/10 "2013-10-24T18:54:07Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > _“Lo:eek:k…! There’s another American that’s actually going to try the shit! Bwahahahaha!”_ And I’m glad I did! Wonderful stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/11 "2013-10-25T02:32:14Z")
I’ve, um, never tried it myself. After seeing it and smelling, I sort of classified it up there with durian. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/12 "2013-10-25T15:12:40Z")
All hail Vegemite! Schmear of schmears! Yummmmmmmm… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/13 "2013-10-25T15:21:34Z")
We now have English muffins. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2013, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/14 "2013-10-26T04:39:00Z")
And it doesn’t smell a day over 75. The still sceptical may want to try it on a nice chunky slice of fruit loaf, preferably toasted - the sweet/sour/salty combo makes every part of your tongue happy at once. As the national anthem goes ‘We ARE happy little vegemites, …’ ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2013, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/15 "2013-10-26T06:40:54Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > It is absolutely disgusting! I truly believe it’s some sort of sick joke the Aussies are pulling on the rest of the world. > > _“Lo:eek:k…! There’s another American that’s actually going to try the shit! Bwahahahaha!”_ I agree. I tried it when I went to Australia. That’s some nasty stuff. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2013, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/16 "2013-10-26T14:02:06Z")
I’ve had a jar of it in the fridge, for about 14 years. Do y’all think it’s still edible? _\_ ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2013, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/17 "2013-10-26T21:24:45Z")
No other food seems to invite such hatred from Americans. We like it, and we don’t care if you don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/18 "2013-10-27T01:35:23Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > No other food seems to invite such hatred from Americans. We like it, and we don’t care if you don’t. I’m an American, and I love it! And if most of my countrymen don’t like it, then there’s more for me (even if I do have to hunt for it a bit.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2013, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/happy-birthday-vegemite/672123/19 "2013-10-27T03:29:03Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > I’ve had a jar of it in the fridge, for about 14 years. Do y’all think it’s still edible? > > _\_ Yes, the jar itself might be more edible than the contents, even from day one. 😉 _\_