# Questions about Vegemite **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 2, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999 "2010-03-02T16:36:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HotSmoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d9b06d/32.png) [@HotSmoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotSmoke)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/1 "2010-03-02T16:36:05Z")
I am curious about Vegemite. I know it is a yeast based spread and Australians are apparently crazy about it. I have also heard that it tastes and looks like roofing tar. So,what’s the dope on Vegemite?what does it taste like? I admit I would like to try it. Are there any US stores that carry it? ---
**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:** [March 2, 2010, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/2 "2010-03-02T16:51:33Z")
It has a very strong, almost meaty or cheesy flavour. And it’s very salty. To me, I think the closest analogy is if you could make a paste of soy sauce, only without the fermented undertone. I understand that the Aussies spread it very thinly with butter or margarine. Having never been to Australia, I tend to put it on kinda thick. It’s a nice compliment to breakfast burritos and Thai BBQ chicken, and is great in a Vegemite sandwich (butter and Vegemite, and maybe some cheddar, on bread). I like to toast an English muffin (not Thomas’s, since I don’t want all of the ‘nooks and crannies’ – or crooks and nannies, either), spread it with butter or marge, add a layer of Vegemite, and a slice of medium or sharp cheddar. Put it under the broiler until the cheese melts, and you have a delicious snack. One downside to Vegemite is that it gives you moose-breath. Your best bet to find it is at an English store such as a tea shop, but it may also be carried in well-stocked supermarkets. My local supermarket carries Marmite, which is similar but not quite as good. (_ducking and trying to present a small target_) It can also be ordered online. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/3 "2010-03-02T17:04:57Z")
My grocery store stocks it, weirdly, by the yeast. I mean, yes, it has yeast _in_ it, but… And if you have a World Market, they have it there. We like it okay - the boyfriend more than I. I like a little tiny bit with a strong cheese. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/4 "2010-03-02T17:24:05Z")
Just get a jar and keep it in the fridge for the next 20 years, like everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![HotSmoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d9b06d/32.png) [@HotSmoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotSmoke)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/5 "2010-03-02T17:26:02Z")
We have a World Market,must go see if they have Vegemite. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2010, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/6 "2010-03-02T17:28:37Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Just get a jar and keep it in the fridge for the next 20 years, like everyone else. Hey, I’m halfway through my 2.5 kg pail! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/7 "2010-03-02T17:33:08Z")
another wierd use for vegemite is in making veggie beef soup or beef stew. add a teaspoon or so to it, it gives it that undefinable taste that is given by the ‘hydrolized yeast’ you see in the ingredient list. oddly enough, a really tiny dab mixed in well on buttered noodles is good, it gives the umami sense to make you feel satisfied if you can’t afford meat in your noodles in the same manner that soy sauce will do. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/8 "2010-03-02T17:37:24Z")
Have you ever tasted a really dark Guiness? OK, so you know that btiter background flavor? thats’ the one, the one you pretend isnt there. the one you are too much of a man to acknowledge: that flavor. Now condense it. Take a barrel of Guiness, in fact a barrel of rejected, burnt, too dark guiness and then condense it down into about half a gram of evil bitter yeast. That’s vegemite. I put a tiny scrid ont he tines of a fork to taste it (the smell was enough to nearly over power me) and it was vile. The taste completely overwhelmed my mouth, nose and throat. It’s the Ghost Chili of yeast. Several days later I could still taste the stuff. Seriously nasty. I can only guess that the people who like it can not taste certain chemicals. (I can taste a lot of chemicals other people can’t.) I don’t see how anyone could develop an attraction to that flavor. ---
**Author:** ![HotSmoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d9b06d/32.png) [@HotSmoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotSmoke)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/9 "2010-03-02T17:41:00Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Have you ever tasted a really dark Guiness? OK, so you know that btiter background flavor? thats’ the one, the one you pretend isnt there. the one you are too much of a man to acknowledge: that flavor. > > Now condense it. Take a barrel of Guiness, in fact a barrel of rejected, burnt, too dark guiness and then condense it down into about half a gram of evil bitter yeast. That’s vegemite. > > I put a tiny scrid ont he tines of a fork to taste it (the smell was enough to nearly over power me) and it was vile. The taste completely overwhelmed my mouth, nose and throat. It’s the Ghost Chili of yeast. Several days later I could still taste the stuff. > > Seriously nasty. I can only guess that the people who like it can not taste certain chemicals. (I can taste a lot of chemicals other people can’t.) I don’t see how anyone could develop an attraction to that flavor. Good God. Johnny’s description sounded mildy appealing but this sounds…this sounds almost inhumane. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/10 "2010-03-02T17:44:17Z")
If you’ve ever tasted miso paste, that’s not far off. Very salty and yeasty. It’s supposedly pretty nutritious. People either love it or hate it. My wife loves both Vegemite and Marmite. We have four jars of Marmite in the cupboard right now. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/11 "2010-03-02T17:46:14Z")
Yeah, a concentrated salty, malty, bitter spread. Not for everyone, but if you want something different (as opposed to just plain ol’ salt), it does give it something extra. Similar in consistency and color to that shoe polish that comes in the chewing tobacco cans. Its bad reputation for taste is, IMO, overstated, but, again, not for everyone. As said, it’s pretty strong, and a little goes a long way. Marmite, while somewhat similar, has a consistency similar to a very, very viscsous syrup. ---
**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:** [March 2, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/12 "2010-03-02T17:56:12Z")
> [@HotSmoke](#): > > Good God. Johnny’s description sounded mildy appealing… That’s because I’m right, and he’s wrong! 😛 When you try it, remember to use it sparingly. Me, I’ll dip a spoon in and eat it like that; but just a tiny bit on bread with some butter/margarine is where you want to start. Re: Appearance. I’ve always thought Vegemite looks like axle grease. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/13 "2010-03-02T17:59:47Z")
I eat Marmite, but from my understanding, it’s similar. It tastes like Johnny’s description of vegemite (ultra-concentrated soy) with a bit of a bitter undertone. It also reminds me very much of ultra concentrated beef stock (glace de viande.) It’s delicious, but I tend to enjoy strong flavors. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/14 "2010-03-02T18:38:21Z")
> [@HotSmoke](#): > > We have a World Market,must go see if they have Vegemite. While you’re there, get some Branston Pickle. It’s awesome. ---
**Author:** ![filling\_pages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b9bd4f/32.png) [@filling\_pages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filling_pages)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/15 "2010-03-02T18:44:31Z")
A friend caught me licking a beef bullion cube once and told me I’d like Vegemite. He was right. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/16 "2010-03-02T18:55:17Z")
I am intrigued, I must admit. Although I’m not too excited about the moose-breath aspect. What are some other ways to use it, Johnny? ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/17 "2010-03-02T19:00:38Z")
> [@HotSmoke](#): > > Good God. Johnny’s description sounded mildy appealing but this sounds…this sounds almost inhumane. Dick Cheney refused the CIA permission to feed it to Saddam Hussein. . . ---
**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:** [March 2, 2010, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/18 "2010-03-02T19:24:36Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > What are some other ways to use it, Johnny? [Vegemite recipes](http://www.vegemite.com.au/vegemite/page?siteid=vegemite-prd&locale=auen1&PagecRef=651) from their website. I have to admit I didn’t much care for the Avocado and Vegemite on Toast. It was OK, but I prefer a sweet-ish dressing with avocados. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/19 "2010-03-02T19:43:49Z")
It tastes like brewer’s yeast ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/20 "2010-03-02T20:01:21Z")
“And tasty, too! Just like candy!” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999.md?page=2)