In a comment to the post Comfort Food, Evan said his was Vegemite on toast. He’s clearly not alone.
If you show this bottle of Vegemite to 10 Americans, half of them won’t know what it is. Out of the remaining 5, four of them will recoil in abject horror and begin dry-gagging, while the remaining 1 will say, “Oh, I love that stuff on toast!”
Show that same bottle of Vegemite to 10 Australians, and 9 of them will reach for the bottle to open and smell it deeply, and ask if you have any toast.
—The truth about Vegemite …from an American foodie
I did a bit more research and found this classic TV ad for Vegemite:
We’re happy little Vegemites
As bright as bright can be.
We all enjoy our Vegemite
For breakfast, lunch, and tea.
Our mummies say we’re growing stronger
Every single week,
Because we love our Vegemite
We all adore our Vegemite
It puts a rose in every cheek.
And this video of Oprah Winfrey’s reaction to Vegemite on her Australian tour.
Thanks, Evan! Fun stuff.
December 8, 2014
It is an acquired taste. I like it but know many including my late wife who simply can’t stand the smell of it.
That’s interesting. Especially because I had never heard of it until Evan mentioned it.
i’m thinking it might be like anchovies?
definitely an acquired taste! 😀
i would like to try it i think. at least once!
definitely Tammy…
It has a lot of umami, “a meaty, savory, satisfying taste” from the Japanese word for delicious — just like anchovies, parmesan and other aged cheeses, etc. A bit strong if too concentrated, but a flavor enhancer.
“To understand the taste of umami, imagine a perfectly dressed Caesar salad, redolent of Parmesan cheese, minced anchovies and Worcestershire sauce; or slurping chicken soup; or biting into a slice of pepperoni-and-mushroom pizza. The savory taste of these foods, and the full, tongue-coating sensation they provide, is umami.” From the Wall Street Journal: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119706514515417586
Here’s a review on Amazon:
I’m an American and had heard of, but never tried this stuff. Well thanks to the magic of the internet I decided that it was time to see what was up with all this Australian hoopla and get some for myself.
When it arrived, with much trepidation, I made some toast, added copious amounts of whipped margarine, and then carefully scraped a blob of Vegemite onto it and mixed it around. And then I ate it.
Its a very salty type stuff, with a flavor reminiscent of soy sauce and/or beef bullion, and maybe mushrooms. All I can think of is that this is like instant biscuits and gravy in a spreadable form.
Weird but kind of good. I’d get it again!
Vegemite, yum yum! We’ve been eating it for years.
I certainly was ignorant!
Glad you liked it. I can send you a jar if you like (you probably won’t!)
That’s fine. It would cost less if I bought it on Amazon. I was tempted to buy a jar and use it as a flavor enhancer, but Andy likes very bland food. Well, maybe if I used just a drop?
Oh, what the heck. I just ordered a jar.
Do you have to refrigerate it after it’s opened? Could I try a bit and send it to tammy?
It doesn’t have to be refrigerated. It won’t get here until next month, so I’m not holding my breath.
As I said, I used to love and then for some reason – it and other foods played havoc with my innards!
Some people drink it – a teaspoon full in cup of hot water – also useful if you’ve out of stock for say soup…
There is also Marmite – now I can’t abide that at all, even when I could eat the stuff…
My Mother made marmite/cheese traps often – using up I think stale bread… My niece had a pile at her place a couple of years ago but somehow the magic wasn’t there 🙂
I’ve been doing a lot of poking around trying to figure out why your body reacts the way it does. So I’ve been thinking of you a lot.
it doesn’t need refridgeration but it does need monitoring – it can go mouldy if you are not careful – and it’s best to “finish” by expiry date
looking forward to hearing your taste test
“don’t go overboard to start with…suggest on a savoury cracker or ryvita or similar”
oh don’t forget the butter/similar underneath it – it’s an acquired taste
And don’t for goodness say decide to scoop out a teaspoon full and “lick it”
Thanks for the valuable information. I did know that you don’t just eat it. I saw a funny video where an American couple tried that. 😀