What IS Vegemite?
We've all heard the Men at Work song "Down Under", right? Many a person, after hearing this song, was faced with a puzzling question: What IS Vegemite? And does it normally come in sandwich form? What does it look like? Does it smell bad? Well, ladies and gentlemen...
Top to bottom:Vegemite on toast, various cans of Vegemite
Vegemite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vegemite (pronounced "VEG-ee-mite", is the registered brand name for a dark brown, salty food paste made from yeast extract,used as a spread on sandwiches and toast, though occasionally used in cooking. It is popular in Australia and New Zealand and is known as one of Australia's national foods—it can be found in many Australian Diaspora communities such as London. Food technologist Dr. Cyril P. Callister invented Vegemite in 1923 when his employer, the Australian Fred Walker Company, had him develop a spread from brewer's yeast after war had disrupted the supply of imported yeast spreads.
The brand is now owned by Kraft Foods, an American multinational that is part of the AltriaGroup of companies and Australian produced Vegemite is available in the United Kingdom and United States.
Vegemite's name was picked at random out of a hat by Fred Walker's daughter, Sheilah. Faced with growing competition from the similar British Marmite, the product was known from 1928 to 1935 as "Parwill", allowing a convoluted advertising slogan that said "Marmite but Parwill"—that is, "Ma (mother) might not like the taste but I'm sure Pa (father) will." This attempt to expand market share was unsuccessful and the name was changed back to Vegemite. Today Vegemite far outsells Marmite and other similar spreads in Australia.
Vegemite is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacture, and various vegetable and spice additives. The taste is difficult to describe but is extremely salty and slightly bitter, and as might be expected, malty. While highly popular in Australia and New Zealand, it has never been successfully marketed elsewhere. It is notorious for the dislike it generates amongst some foreigners. Vegemite is not liked by all Australians - some find it far too salty to be palatable - but it remains an iconic symbol of Australia. It is available at some supermarkets and specialty food shops in a number of other countries.
Vegemite is often spread very thinly, with liberal amounts of butter first to help to soften the strong taste, or with sliced or melted cheese. A variation on vegemite toast is 'tiger toast' - where after spreading with vegemite, strips of cheese are melted onto the toast, creating a striking visual effect. It is also a key ingredient in the popular "Cheesymite Scroll" or "Cheddarmite Scroll" produced by bakeries in Australia, a savoury spiral pastry which includes cheese spread and Vegemite. A teaspoon of Vegemite can also be used in place of stock in some recipes.
The high salt level in Vegemite, serving as a preservative, has helped build its reputation as a long lasting product, leading to popular phrases such as "Vegemite will only go bad once the lid rusts through", hinting that an original tinned Vegemite could still be edible today.
Vegemite's rise to popularity was helped by marketing campaigns in the 1940s, using groups of smiling, attractive healthy children singing a catchy jingle entitled "We're happy little Vegemites". Indeed, many Australians still use the phrase "happy little Vegemite" to describe such children. Re-edited versions of the advertisements and jingle continue to be used for their appeal to patriotic nostalgia.
The lyrics to the Jingle are:
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 enjoy our Vegemite
it puts a rose in every cheek
Trivia:
Vegemite is mentioned in the lyrics of Doen Under by Men at Work:
I said "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich
The song is cited by many non-Australians as the first time they had ever heard of the food.
Legend has it that if you smear Vegemite behind your ears, it will deter the drop bear.
Products similar to Vegemite
Bovril
Mightymite
Marmite
Cenovis
Dick Smith Foods' Aussiemite (created because Vegemite is now owned by an American-based firm)
Vitam-R (especially popular in Germany, but available in health food stores in the UK)
Viandox a liquid form of marmite-like, sold in France
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vegemite (pronounced "VEG-ee-mite", is the registered brand name for a dark brown, salty food paste made from yeast extract,used as a spread on sandwiches and toast, though occasionally used in cooking. It is popular in Australia and New Zealand and is known as one of Australia's national foods—it can be found in many Australian Diaspora communities such as London. Food technologist Dr. Cyril P. Callister invented Vegemite in 1923 when his employer, the Australian Fred Walker Company, had him develop a spread from brewer's yeast after war had disrupted the supply of imported yeast spreads.
The brand is now owned by Kraft Foods, an American multinational that is part of the AltriaGroup of companies and Australian produced Vegemite is available in the United Kingdom and United States.
Vegemite's name was picked at random out of a hat by Fred Walker's daughter, Sheilah. Faced with growing competition from the similar British Marmite, the product was known from 1928 to 1935 as "Parwill", allowing a convoluted advertising slogan that said "Marmite but Parwill"—that is, "Ma (mother) might not like the taste but I'm sure Pa (father) will." This attempt to expand market share was unsuccessful and the name was changed back to Vegemite. Today Vegemite far outsells Marmite and other similar spreads in Australia.
Vegemite is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacture, and various vegetable and spice additives. The taste is difficult to describe but is extremely salty and slightly bitter, and as might be expected, malty. While highly popular in Australia and New Zealand, it has never been successfully marketed elsewhere. It is notorious for the dislike it generates amongst some foreigners. Vegemite is not liked by all Australians - some find it far too salty to be palatable - but it remains an iconic symbol of Australia. It is available at some supermarkets and specialty food shops in a number of other countries.
Vegemite is often spread very thinly, with liberal amounts of butter first to help to soften the strong taste, or with sliced or melted cheese. A variation on vegemite toast is 'tiger toast' - where after spreading with vegemite, strips of cheese are melted onto the toast, creating a striking visual effect. It is also a key ingredient in the popular "Cheesymite Scroll" or "Cheddarmite Scroll" produced by bakeries in Australia, a savoury spiral pastry which includes cheese spread and Vegemite. A teaspoon of Vegemite can also be used in place of stock in some recipes.
The high salt level in Vegemite, serving as a preservative, has helped build its reputation as a long lasting product, leading to popular phrases such as "Vegemite will only go bad once the lid rusts through", hinting that an original tinned Vegemite could still be edible today.
Vegemite's rise to popularity was helped by marketing campaigns in the 1940s, using groups of smiling, attractive healthy children singing a catchy jingle entitled "We're happy little Vegemites". Indeed, many Australians still use the phrase "happy little Vegemite" to describe such children. Re-edited versions of the advertisements and jingle continue to be used for their appeal to patriotic nostalgia.
The lyrics to the Jingle are:
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 enjoy our Vegemite
it puts a rose in every cheek
Trivia:
Vegemite is mentioned in the lyrics of Doen Under by Men at Work:
I said "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich
The song is cited by many non-Australians as the first time they had ever heard of the food.
Legend has it that if you smear Vegemite behind your ears, it will deter the drop bear.
Products similar to Vegemite
Bovril
Mightymite
Marmite
Cenovis
Dick Smith Foods' Aussiemite (created because Vegemite is now owned by an American-based firm)
Vitam-R (especially popular in Germany, but available in health food stores in the UK)
Viandox a liquid form of marmite-like, sold in France
... now you know.
May the Force be with you, Men at Work and other Australian people.
posted by lizzard lady at 4:16 PM
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