A Conversation for Vegemite

Vegemite

Post 1

Garibaldi - Patented Mr G party at F14181?thread=256534

Ok, so it's not as bad I make it out to be, but there are a couple of truths in the in the entry which I will definitely point out.

The tourist and Vegemite thing is very much true. If you plan to come to Oz, be very wary of someone who says early on, 'You should try Vegemite'.

Secondly, and most sadly, is that Vegemite is owned by an American Tobacco Company. Not only do such companies try to get money from teenagers dirrectly, they get money indirectly from children who enjoy Vegemite on toast.

Dick Smith, who is well known in Australia, plans on setting up a company to produce what he calls, Aussiemite. It will be completely Australian owned, and he has a vision that it will become the icon of Oz. I wish him luck, especially trying to market somethign that tastes fairly horrid at times.


Vegemite

Post 2

Fenchurch M. Mercury

Ooh, THAT's vegemite. Very in depth article, by the way. Thanks for the warning smiley - smiley.


Vegemite

Post 3

Garibaldi - Patented Mr G party at F14181?thread=256534

Thanks, I was surprised that there was no offical entry, and I only found one other user page, but it was a one liner.

It's true and correct, but with a touch of Mr Garibaldi's humour. smiley - smiley


Vegemite

Post 4

Fenchurch M. Mercury

Of course, that the best way for it to be! smiley - smiley

I wonder, if it's owned by Kraft, why they don't market it here? I've never EVER seen this stuff... but now I'm sure to keep my eye out for it...


Vegemite

Post 5

Garibaldi - Patented Mr G party at F14181?thread=256534

I have seen on TV that you can get it over there, but it is only made in Australia. There was something about the fact that some 'Australian shops' in the US couldn't get their vegemite to sell as the labelling did not have the weight in the Imperical system, but in metric.


Vegemite

Post 6

Fenchurch M. Mercury

What?!?! I think that's absurd. Well *I* know the metric system as they've been teaching it in schools for at least 10 years now and it's used in chemistry, which happens to be my minor... it just makes a lot more sense, I don't understand why the U.S. just doesn't make the change already.

I've consulted some people and they know a place where I could get some Vegemite, so I think I'll try it once I have time to drive an hour to get there. See how interesting the article is, not only did it inform, it aroused my curiosity so much that now I just must have this stuff that tastes horrid at times. smiley - smiley


Vegemite

Post 7

Garibaldi - Patented Mr G party at F14181?thread=256534

Well even the Brits have started to convert to metric. The main fear is the massive amount of money needed to convert. However, the longer they do it, the more expensive it will be as more and more people will be taught the old way. Also when the US has other things on it's mind like peace and that, a simple thing like the metric system is put aside.

As for the vegemite, you really don't have to go out of your way to get some. But if you do, get the smallest jar at first. It really does take a fair bit to get used to it


Vegemite

Post 8

Hypoman

Like the article, man - it's pretty true to form, even if the case against vegemite is a little overstated!

I have only one objection, which is that I really do like vegemite, and still consider it (however rarely I actually consume it) a delicacy, in spite of the evidently common Australian childhood experience of eating it until you throw up.

I must also admit 'though that even if I do like vegemite, I wouldn't voluntarily eat a vegemite sandwich again - it's a little bit bland, I think: a bit like eating a slice of bread with a half-inch thick layer of salt on it. Those vegemite and cheese sandwiches at school were a bit hard to take, too - the combination of the two cultured and salty flavours was often enough to make me ill. Vegemite on toast, with lots of melted butter on it as well, is the way to go!


Vegemite

Post 9

Garibaldi - Patented Mr G party at F14181?thread=256534

I like Vegemite too. I just don't go out of my way to eat it. I think the Vegemite on toast with heaps of melted butter (must be spread as soon as it is out of toaster) is very yummy. Also the vegemite on sao is nice too.

I eat very little of it. I have it so thin that people say it's not worth eating the toast.

Another good thing about Vegemite, is that it full of the Vitamin B group. So if you have a big night on the drink, eating Vegemite in the morning will help replenish the loss of Vitamin B.


Vegemite

Post 10

Hypoman

Yeah. I suspect that it is for this reason that vegemite retains a lot of its popularity. It's also one of the easier things to consume when you're hung over - paradoxically, given its tendency in large quantities to make you want to throw up under normal circumstances.

There is also some justice in the effect vegemite has on hangovers - it is, after all, the product of brewing!


Vegemite

Post 11

Garibaldi - Patented Mr G party at F14181?thread=256534

Ah that's right. Hmm, more info to go into the entry. Thanks very much Hypoman.


Vegemite

Post 12

Danger Mouse

Nice entry... I'm surprised also that there isn't an official one yet.

The other odd thing about Vegemite is that the people who make it (Kraft) were recently asked if it contained genetically modified ingredients. And they didn't know! What are they putting into this stuff if they don't even know what ingredients they're using?!


Vegemite

Post 13

47318 - I am a number not a free man

Actually, one mistake in the original article is that Vegemite is a vegetable product.
Wrong - it is purely a yeast extract, with nary a hint of vegetable.
Basically all Kraft (and whoever make Marmite in the UK) do is grow up vats of yeast, then dry and mash the result into a thick paste.

I too hate the taste of Marmite/Vegemite - not because of any aesthetic reasons, but because I did my first degree in Microbiology. Strangely enough, one of the most popular media for growing bacteria is Yeast Extract - the powdered version of Marmite! When you have to handle large quantities of that stuff, it soon puts you off anything that smells like that!!

AndyF


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