Vegemite

Vegemite on toast.

Vegemite (IPA: ['vɛdʒɪˌmaɪt]) is the registered brand name for a dark brown, salty food paste made from yeast extract, mainly 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 Altria Group of companies and Australian produced Vegemite is available in the United Kingdom.

History

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, similar to the taste of beef bouillon. The texture is smooth, resembling margarine. 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.

In October 2006, the Melbourne Herald Sun reported that Vegemite is banned in the USA, with Customs officials going so far as to even search Australians for Vegemite when they enter the country, but later reports cast doubt on the claim. The Food and Drug Administration later stated there was no import ban on Vegemite, and that it was never pulled from American supermarket shelves.

Typical preparation

Vegemite can be spread very thinly with butter to help to soften the strong taste, or with sliced or melted cheese. A lack of experience may result in Vegemite being spread too thickly. 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.

Nutritional information

Per 5 g suggested serving size

• Energy - 41 kJ
• Protein - 1.3 g
• Carbohydrate
  • Total - 1 g
  • Sugars - Less than 1 g
• Fat
  • Total - Less than 1 g
  • Saturated - Less than 1 g
• Niacin - 2500 µg (25% RDA)
• Thiamine - 550 µg (50% RDA)
• Riboflavin - 430 µg (25% RDA)
• Folate - 100 µg (50% RDA)
• Sodium - 169 mg

Per 100 g

• Energy - 811 kJ
• Protein - 25.6 g
• Carbohydrate
  • Total - 19.5 g
  • Sugars - 1.7 g
• Fat
  • Total - Less than 1 g
  • Saturated - Less than 1 g
• Niacin - 50 mg
• Thiamine - 11 mg
• Riboflavin - 8.6 mg
• Folate - 2000 µg
• Sodium - 3380 mg

RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance.

Brand

Different Vegemite jars - National Museum of Australia

Vegemite's rise to popularity was helped by marketing campaigns begun in 1954, using groups of smiling, attractive healthy children singing a catchy jingle entitled "We're happy little Vegemites".

The lyrics to the Jingle are:

We're hap-py lit-tle Veg-e-mites

As bright as bright can be.

We all en-joy our Ve-ge-mite

For break-fast, lunch, and tea.

Our mum-mies say we're grow-ing stron-ger

Eve-ry sin-gle week,

Be-cause we love our Ve-ge-mite -

We all a-dore our Ve-ge-mite -

It puts a rose in eve-ry cheek.

The two young twin girls who sang this advertising jingle were known as the "Vegemite Twins".

Australian Slang

This jingle gave rise to an Australian slang expression "happy little Vegemite" = a happy person. This first became popular in the 1980s. Since then it has also been extended, ad hoc, to various complimentary expressions utilising the same structure, such as "good little Vegemite", "clever little Vegemite".

Another set of Australian slang expressions using Vegemite refer to anal sex. Since the 1980s to "drill for Vegemite" has been used to refer to anal sex, and "Vegemite driller" has been used as a disparaging term for a male homosexual. Similarly, "Vegemite Valley" refers to the rectum in sexual contexts.

Popular culture

Vegemite came to the attention of many people outside the region in the lyrics of the 1982 worldwide hit song Down Under by Men At Work:

I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"

He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich

See also

• Bovril
• Mightymite
• Marmite
• Promite
• Cenovis
• Aussie Mite (created because Vegemite is now owned by an international corporation)
• Vitam-R (especially popular in Germany, but available in health food stores in the UK)
• Viandox a liquid form of a marmite-like substance, sold in France

External links

• vegemite.com.au
• Foster's Group, Brewing - source of Vegemite Yeast