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 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, similar to the taste of beef bouillon. The texture is rather 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.
Vegemite should be 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.
Vegemite's rise to popularity was helped by marketing campaigns begun in the year 1954, 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
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
Pranks
There are also a few pranks that involve Vegemite. One is the claim of putting some behind your ear to stop drop bears. Another is to hand international tourists to Australia a big spoon of vegemite to eat, claiming it is an Australian variety of chocolate.[citation needed] Even letting unwitting tourists spread their own Vegemite is laden with peril - more often than not, the tourist will spread their Vegemite far more thickly than is desirable.
Similar products
- Bovril
- Mightymite
- Marmite
- Promite
- Cenovis
- Dick Smith Foods' Aussiemite (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 marmite-like, sold in France