Hee! My Aussie cousins tried me on some Vegemite when I was down there for a wedding as a tiny kid for the first time. Turns out they got to sit and watch as I slathered a perfect 2mm thick layer on my toast, ate it all, and ASKED FOR MORE. All to the accompainment of stunned goldfish faces round about.
What they didn’t know was that I used to sneak rock salt and eat it like its counterpart rock sugar.
While today I wouldn’t slather it on quite that thick due to heartburn, I still have pretty low blood pressure - go figure. (although that’ll probably change when I hit 40 and my warranty runs out)
My local doesn’t carry Vegemite, but I did manage to dig out a small jar of Marmite, which reposes in my pantry right this moment. I’d also add that Marmite is more runny than Vegemite – consistency of almond butter as opposed to room temperature margarine.
[QUOTE=August West]
My jar of Marmite is from NZ, a gift from my Kiwi cousin-in-law, and I absolutely love the stuff. But I don’t have a very “*”-mite educated palate and I’m not a big fan of Vegemite, so maybe my tastebuds are backwards.
Toast smeared with Marmite, with a thin slice of extra-sharp cheddar just slightly melted on top is the best breakfast in the world.
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I guess Kiwi Marmite would be OK as a kind of “kiddy starter pack”, until you move on to the proper stuff.
(Anticipating with pleasure the wrath of NZ dopers. Though seriously, your stuff is gank.)
This really has all the makings of an urban legend. None of the articles I’ve seen quote anyone at the FDA. The FDA OASIS system doesn’t show any ban of Vegemite this year.
When in Australia, I usually put it on brands of crackers than are not available in the US, such as Vita-Weat and Jatz. So you don’t need to eat it on toast. (It can also be eaten on untoasted bread).
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Vegemite on VitaWeats is definitely the food of the Gods.
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.]
Isn’t there an American version of Vegemite/Marmite? A coworker mentioned it a few months ago and said he ate it as a child. ISTR that it started with a ‘V’. (And no, it’s not Vitameatavegemine.)
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I asked my coworker about it, and he said the product he ate was Vegex. I can’t find a proper link to it, but I’ve found a number of recipes that call for it so it seems to still be made.
Why you shouldn’t be upset about a ban: Those Aussie bastards know it’s vomitous, and just like to watch us gag once they’ve duped us into eating it. They’re probably bitter about that damn jingle with the “happy little vegemites”, how their mums used to sing it to them to get them to choke it down, and like to take that frustration out on us, even at great distance.
I disagree with the concept that Marmite never goes off. I do remember once back in the days of yore that a half-used jar of Marmite lurked in my fridge* for a couple of years between tastings. When i eventually got round to having some I discovered a greyish mould on the top.
Once I’d scraped it off the stuff underneath was still delicious though.
I’m not sure why it was in the fridge as I usually just leave it in the cupboard. I must have accidentally misplaced it.
[QUOTE=Rayne Man]
That mould was probably the remains of butter and toast crumbs which have a habit of finding their way into jars of Marmite.
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Oh good point, you could well be right on that one. At least my marmite was still fresh n tasty though.
