# 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:** 2
**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, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/21 "2010-03-02T20:10:07Z")
They have Branston Pickle at my Publix. Maybe I will pick up some next time I go. ---
**Author:** ![Lestrade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Lestrade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lestrade)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/22 "2010-03-02T20:11:46Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > It tastes like brewer’s yeast Well, that’s what it is, where it starts at least. ([history of Vegemite](http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/VegemiteHistory.htm)). ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/23 "2010-03-02T20:23:37Z")
> [@filling\_pages](#): > > A friend caught me licking a beef bullion cube once and told me I’d like Vegemite. He was right. Your friend is a wise person. Similarly, if anyone likes the flavour/experience of those little sticky half-burnt gooey bits left on the tray after roasting a chicken, then the chances of you also liking Marmite or Vegemite are pretty high. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/24 "2010-03-02T20:27:22Z")
> [@HotSmoke](#): > > They have Branston Pickle at my Publix. Maybe I will pick up some next time I go. Goes very well with a nice strong (sharp in the US?) cheddar. Another good British cheese accompaniment is picalilli, which is a sweet mustard pickle. ---
**Author:** ![Mikemike2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mikemike2/32/305_2.png) [@Mikemike2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mikemike2)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2010, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/25 "2010-03-02T20:29:17Z")
We bought a jar once to try it. It is so nasty it makes you angry. Anyone want a used jar? ---
**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:** [March 3, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/26 "2010-03-03T01:12:29Z")
To me, it’s like salty beef drippings. Yum! ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/27 "2010-03-03T01:26:13Z")
Vegemite is an abomination…Marmite on the other hand… Actually both rock in cheddar cheese sandwiches…or on toast ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/28 "2010-03-03T02:02:26Z")
Ok, I LOVE anchovies and I will spread anchovy paste on saltines. Sounds like Vegemite would be a slam dunk for me! ---
**Author:** ![HotSmoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/d9b06d/32.png) [@HotSmoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HotSmoke)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/29 "2010-03-03T02:29:13Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Your friend is a wise person. Similarly, if anyone likes the flavour/experience of those little sticky half-burnt gooey bits left on the tray after roasting a chicken, then the chances of you also liking Marmite or Vegemite are pretty high. I LOVE those little sticky bits. Guess it’s off to World Market for Vegemite. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/30 "2010-03-03T02:43:48Z")
Cats love it. Guess it’s all the salt. Babies love it. It’s a rare person who loves it without eating it from the cradle. ---
**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 3, 2010, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/31 "2010-03-03T03:00:25Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > Ok, I LOVE anchovies and I will spread anchovy paste on saltines. Sounds like Vegemite would be a slam dunk for me! Yeah, I would say that if you like anchovies and the salt and umami kick they deliver, you’re a pretty good bet to like Vegemite and Marmite. ---
**Author:** ![kevlaw](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kevlaw/32/2281_2.png) [@kevlaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kevlaw)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/32 "2010-03-03T04:18:14Z")
Marmite is pretty easy to find in Northern California (obligatory: it’s like vegemite only better). We put it on my daughter’s egg and soldiers 🙂 My favourite analogy. If you have ever brewed beer… you know that slime that is left in the bottom of the bucket… all the dead yeast and chunks of nameless dread that didn’t quite turn into beer. Scoop that up in a jar and sell it as marmite/vegemite. Actually that’s not an analogy. That’s pretty much what it is. ---
**Author:** ![Shamozzle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shamozzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shamozzle)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/33 "2010-03-03T07:33:12Z")
_If ever… your in the supermarket… and thinking… of buying… a jar of vegemite…_ Don’t. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/34 "2010-03-03T07:38:05Z")
Hard for me to comment since I grew up with it. The most palatable way for your first taste is on toast. Don’t taste it straight from the jar. Take a bit of toast, fresh out of the toaster, spread it with butter quick (or margarine if you must) so that the butter melts into the toast. Then take a small amount of Vegemite from the jar. See that amount you just took? Halve that. Then spread it lightily across the toast. It’ll almost just be a scraping of Vegemite. Best breakfast in the world you’ve got right there. On the major plus side, a couple of slices of vegemite toast are brilliant for a hangover!! Full of Vitamin B goodness!! ---
**Author:** ![Baal\_Houtham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baal_houtham/32/13604_2.png) [@Baal\_Houtham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baal_Houtham)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/35 "2010-03-03T11:39:57Z")
Yet another description: Very salty. Has the look and texture of fudge topping. Tastes like a brewery smells. I didn’t notice bitterness, and it didn’t taste like the horrid brewer’s yeast that I tried in the 1970s. (It was the fashion, along with wheat germ.) I got mine at World Market after reading the _Marmite Horror_ thread. After the first taste --on buttered toast-- I thought it was no big deal. It seemed like an expensive way to make something salty. But apparently I needed an expensive way to make something salty because I started eating five or six pieces of buttered toast w/VM every day. _Synthesizing Vegemite_ When my little jar was empty I was yearning but still unimpressed. I figured I could make a decent substitute for a third the price, so I bought some –vegetable boullion paste –powdered chickpeas (hummus) and added some soy sauce. It didn’t work. Wrong texture and taste. Then I went online and found some type of syrup used in home brewing that looked like the missing ingredient (maybe malt extract?). But at the time I didn’t have the $17 to spare for a quart, and was over my Vegemite yearning anyway, so I dropped the idea. However, if the US ever is ever at war with Australia and forced to rely on ersatz Vegemite, I’ve already started on the necessary research. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/36 "2010-03-03T16:12:23Z")
My wife refuses to touch Vegemite or the Marmite sold in stores in the US. It must be Marmite mailed directly from New Zealand. Apparently, it’s different. ---
**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 3, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/37 "2010-03-03T16:15:49Z")
> [@WarmNPrickly](#): > > My wife refuses to touch Vegemite or the Marmite sold in stores in the US. It must be Marmite mailed directly from New Zealand. Apparently, it’s different. [Yep, they are two different recipes.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite) ---
**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 4, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/38 "2010-03-04T17:20:50Z")
I bought some soy beans last night so I can make some soy milk this weekend. Not sure how the machine works yet, but apparently the byproduct is [okara](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okara_(food)), which can be used as a filler among other things. I wonder if I can make some sort of ground beef substitute out of it by mixing some Vegemite into the okara? ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2010, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/39 "2010-03-04T22:53:31Z")
> [@HotSmoke](#): > > 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. [Steven Fry] And this comes from the country that gave us spray-on cheese?[/Steven Fry] Crazy, no. It’s just a essentially breakfact staple. Yes there are the odd case of children/adults who eat it by the spoonful, but they’re just odd. One of my kids has it on his school lunch sandwich every day. One has it on breakfeast toast regularly. The other will eat it only when there are no other, non-living, food sources in the house. We have much the same morbid horror about the US concept of peanut butter and jelly, or fools gold sandwiches and the like. :eek: I’ll take the point about looking like roofing tar. As to tasting like roofing tar, I’ll defer to your experience. It’s an extract of brewer’s yeast and so tastes like concentrated/refined brewers yeast. It’s a volumetric thing. As indicated above; you scrape it on buttered toast. Like tabasco sause, a little goes a long way. Watching an American take their first bite is one of life’s rare pleasures. After they ladle it on thick like peanut butter, take a good sniff and ponder their mortality I usually egg them on by quoting Bill Crosby “I am an American, and I can eat anything on the face of this earth, so long as it is between two pieces of bread.” Mind you it doesn’t help the ANZUS alliance much, but it’s worth it. 😃 _(and Marmite is an abomination, and I barely dare to speak the name Promite)_ ---
**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 4, 2010, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999/40 "2010-03-04T23:23:39Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Watching an American take their first bite is one of life’s rare pleasures. After they ladle it on thick like peanut butter, take a good sniff and ponder their mortality I usually egg them on… I really need to visit Australia, just to mess with you guys and watch your faces as I _enjoy_ a nice thick spread of Vegemite! 😛 (And I really like the smell, too – of the Vegemite. Not my breath afterwards.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/questions-about-vegemite/530999.md?page=3)