Vegemite - The Australian Favorite

Vegemite is a dark brown food paste made from yeast extract, used mainly as a spread on sandwiches, toast and cracker biscuits, as well as a filling of pastries like Cheesymite scroll, in Australia. It is similar to British and New Zealand Marmite and to Swiss Cenovis.

Vegemite is made from leftover brewers' yeast extract, a by-product of beer manufacturing, and various vegetable and spice additives. The taste may be described as salty, slightly bitter, and malty - somewhat similar to the taste of beef bouillon. The texture is smooth and sticky, much like peanut butter. It is not as intensely flavoured as British Marmite and it is less sweet than the New Zealand version of Marmite.

Vegemite is popular with many Australians, who commonly consider it a national food and a cultural icon. It can be found in shops around the world, particularly where there are large populations of Australian expatriates.

Vegemite has not been successfully marketed in other countries, apart from New Zealand, and has failed to catch on in the United States, despite being owned by US food company Kraft Foods.

Many Americans, when visiting Australia, are treated to their first taste of Vegemite - and most express their dislike of this distinctly Australian food.

Vegemite was invented in 1922 by food technologist Dr. Cyril P. Callister when his employer, the Australian company Fred Walker & Co., gave him the task of developing a spread from brewers' yeast following the disruption of British Marmite imports after World War I. Callister had been hired by the chairman Fred Walker. Vegemite was registered as a trademark in Australia that same year. The registration was later transferred to Kraft, a US multinational, which has maintained an interest in Vegemite since the 1920s. In 1919, New Zealand company Sanitarium began manufacturing a version of Vegemite's biggest competitor, Marmite, and shipping it to Australia.

The name Vegemite was selected out of a hat by Fred Walker's daughter, Sheilah.

However, due to the competition from Marmite, the Vegemite was known from 1928 to 1935 as Parwill - with a great advertising slogan, "Marmite but Parwill." that is, "Ma might but Pa will." This attempt expand Vegemites market share was unsuccessful and the name was changed back to Vegemite.

Today Vegemite far outsells Marmite and other similar spreads in Australia.

The billionth jar of Vegemite was produced in October 2008.

The 'baby boom' started in Australia after World War II and this created a huge new market for Vegemite - all with official endorsement.

Baby care expert, Sister McDonald told the Women's Weekly that "Vegemite is most essential". Welfare Centres were recommending babies have their quota of Vitamin B1, B2 and Niacin - all found in Vegemite.

Teacher Knows Best

On the Vegemite website, there are photos of the different packaging for Vegemite throughout the decades. I thought I would share one or two with you here:

Vegemite in the '30s

A Display Holder from the 50's

Limited Edition Mug from 2000