Happy 100th Birthday Vegemite! It seems an ideal opportunity to reflect on and celebrate this dark, intense, salty spread that always has been part of my life and is always in my kitchen. Vegemite has been with me from being a quick snakc to advertising jingles (happy little vegemites) to school lunches to an all-round excellent seasoning to experimental recipes to cheeseymite products to all the comfort a fine tradition can bring to our lives. I know that (especially in international circles) attitudes are polarised into love or hate with no in-between.
This is a long post so you might want to grab a Vegemite sandwich to keep you going as you read it.
A brief overview of Vegemite:
Vegemite was launched by Cyril Callister into in a world of Australian beer drinkers on 25 October 1923. He had created it in Melbourne to use up the yeast extra leftover from the beer brewing process. For some history check out the Guardian article on the Vegemite's 100th anniversary or the vintage Vegemite advertisements in this National Library of Australia's blog post. I hope to visit the Cyril Callister Museum in Beaufort one day. The far left vegemite jar in the above photo shows the centenary jar that uses the original label design.
My favourite story is that it was originally called Parwill in response to the UK's similar yeast extra that was called Marmite. "If Marmite ... then Parwill"! Sadly it did not take of. (Marmite is actually named for its shape being similar to the French earthenware or metal cooking pots.)
Yeast extracts seem to be quite common in adding umami to mainly savoury recipes. The ones I am most familiar with are Vegemite: a salty yeast extract made with extracts of onion, malt and celery, the UK's Marmite: a salty yeast extract with herbs and spices that has more flavours, and Australia's Promite: a slight sweeter yeast extract with glucose syrup and spice extracts.
Perhaps I should take the opportunity here to note that Australians often shake their head in amusement or despair when watching foreigners slather a thick layer of vegemite on bread and then claim it is disgusting. I know it is an acquired taste but it is best spread thinly. A little goes a long way. Australians never appreciate what a skill it is to spread Vegemite on toast until they see a foreigner try it.
20 recipes featuring VegemiteIt was not so easy to find 20 recipes online featuring vegemite. It is always the bridesmaid never the bride. While it is in many recipes in my blog (such as stews) and elsewhere online, it often background flavouring. The seasoning is critical but not the star. These 20 Vegemite recipes are divided into my recipes and recipes elsewhere online.
10 Vegetarian Vegemite Recipes from my Green Gourmet Giraffe blog:
1. Cheeseymite scones
Scones with a layer and topping of vegemite and and cheese. So soft and so tasty eaten warm with all the melty cheese and bitey spread.
2. Sourdough cheeseymite scrolls
A sourdough version of the iconic Bakers Delight Cheeseymite scrolls. They have been copied by a lot of people so I am in good company. It took a couple of goes to get them soft enough but it was worth the effort. Really good!.
3. Vegemite and three veg pizza
This pizza was inspired by my mum's potato, pumpkin and pea mash with Vegemite that I loved as a child. It is also my favourite three vegetables that we had with meat when I was a kid. The pizza was topped with Vegemite, pea puree, roast potato, roast pumpkin and cheese. Amazing!
4. Vegemite burger (v)
In the vegan and gluten free burger pattie, Vegemite is the main seasoning for this mixture of mushrooms, brown lentils, walnuts and brown rice. I served it on a burger bun with lettuce, tomato, cheese, beetroot, fried onions, tomato sauce and mayonnaise. Burger with the lot this good is a rare pleasure in my kitchen.
5. Basic vegan nut roast
I love nut roasts and was very happy to find a good simple vegan nut roast that has become a go-to recipe. It doesn't have much in the way of flavours so the Vegemite is an important element. It is a rather plain nut roast but goes so well with gravy or tomato sauce in a roast dinner or with salad.
6. Gravy
This gravy is typical of many recipes that don't mention Vegemite in the title. Actually, I used Promite because that was what I had in the kitchen but today would use Vegemite. Vegemite gives both the dark colour I expect of gravy as well as the depth of flavour.
7. Vegemite and poppy seed scones (v)
These scones with Vegemite and poppy seeds are not the bonniest. because I made a small batch and had too many scones on the edge of the rolled out dough. I think I could double the Vegemite but I really liked the combination with poppy seeds to echo the black vegemite! Not my boldest venture but one to repeat when I am feeling fearless!
8. Vegemite caramel layered fudge
This consdensed milk fudge has layers of chocolate and Vegemite
caramel. If you are freaked out by the idea of Vegemite caramel, think
of it like salted caramel with a deeper flavour. Loved it but it was a
bit fiddly to make. I hope I can try it again some time and be bolder
with how much Vegemite I use.
9. Chocolate Vegemite fudge
I found this fudge easier to make than the above layered fudge. But as with that one, the salty umami flavour of Vegemite balanced out the sweet condensed milk and chocolate in a more sophisticated way than salt might. One to impress your overseas friends.
10. Vegemite birthday cake
I made this Vegemite birthday cake, inspired by Vegemite's 100 year anniversary. It was a bit fiddly to get the icing right but the cake was a favourite vegan chocolate cake to which I substituted Vegemite for salt but I would like to experiment with the flavours of Vegemite in this cake. I was happy with the icing. It is the sort of iced birthday cake I grew up desperately wanting as a kid and now can make.
10 Vegemite Recipes from other websites
Here are a selection of mostly vegetarian recipes from the internet that I would like to try. There are a lot of Vegemite recipes online but while searching I got a bit tired of some ideas that came up a lot such as Cheeseymite scrolls though I wished I had room to add the one I also found many were meat because the intense flavours goes well with meat. I only included one carnivorous recipe for a cheeseymite stuffed burger that I would like to trysand the many recipes with meat. The
stuffed burger would be vegetarian burger. See if you can guess which is the vintage recipe from Dorothy in 1939 in the Australian Woman's Mirror magazine.
- Vegemite cheesecake - A Table for Two
- Vegemite spaghetti - Not Quite Nigella
- Vegemite baked potatoes - Best Recipes
- Cheeseymite stuffed burger - Gusface Grillah
- Vegemite ice-cream - Belly Rumbles
- Vegemite gougeres - Eat Live Travel
- Vegemite lamingtons - Best Recipes
- Vegemite oatmeal soup - The New Daily
- Vegemite Asian slaw - Vegemite website
- Strawberry Vegemite french toast roll-ups - Simple Cooking Channel on Youtube
Vegemite in my life:
- Vegemite was always a part of my Aussie childhood. As experimental student I swung to the Promite camp for a while and then swung back to Team Vegemite.
- I can't think of any photos of Vegemite in my childhood. I found a photo of my daughter spreading Vegemite on toast in a cafe. She was so cute that I took the photo but preparing and eating with Vegemite was too mundane to photograph when camera film was precious during my childhood.
- We usually ate Vegemite on bread or dry biscuits (crackers) in my childhood. I took it to school in sandwiches, ate it with grilled cheese on toast as a lazy Sunday night dinner, had it on savoys or salada biscuits for a snack, or just spread it on fresh bread or toast with butter.
- As a kid, one of my favourite side vegetable dishes to have with meat was Vegemite mixed through mashed potato, pumpkin and peas. I had a go at making this mash with Promite many years ago.
- I would pass a favourite patch of tar on the road near as I walked from my childhood house to the pool. In hot weather it would melt and resemble a small puddle of Vegemite. It was always very tempting to dip my toe in. I think I might have once or twice.
- My mum made lots of scones when I was young. We mostly had jam and cream on them but my brother was not a sweet tooth and I am not sure if my memory is correct in thinking he once asked for vegemite and cream scones.
- At school I remember Men at Work's song Down Under featuring the iconic line "He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich." It linked Vegemite and our national identity in a way that brought it to the attention of the USA. Though Vegemite never became popular in the US.
- Vegemite used to come in jars that could be reused as glasses once empty
and the label was cleaned off. We loved them. They were quite small
and could be found in many family kitchens and student households.
- The Cheeseymite Scroll - bread dough spread with cheese and Vegemite and rolled into tasty buns - was created by Bakers Delight in 1994 and became an instant favourite. So many snacks are meaty, that this is an excellent snack on the run. It is an icon today that I would be lost without. I've baked them in various ways but was still amazed by this recipe with garlic butter.
- Vegemite and cheese sandwiches and Cheeseymite scrolls were often in my daughter's lunchbox at primary school.
- When I lived in Edinburgh if the wind was blowing the right way I loved the smell of yeasty aromas from the brewery near our place. Perhaps it reminded me of Vegemite.
- I knew it was love when I met E in Scotland and he made an effort to eat Vegemite on toast. He still eats it but my daughter feels he spreads it too thinly and prefers the slightly thicker way I spread it.
- When my daughter was young we would take a jar of Vegemite on holiday as
it was great with some fresh bread when we had a holiday house
kitchen. Just in case it wasn't available in a cafe.
- My nephew in Ireland in a nut free school had kids getting cross at him for bringing Vegemite sandwiches for lunch because they thought it was Nutella.
- We love mini Vegemite jars for fun. There was a vegemite jar in the Coles little shop collectables, and recently I bought a Vegemite jar Christmas tree decoration which you can see in the above picture of three Vegemite.
- Vegemite was and still is an invalid's food. When I feel ill and unable to stomach much, the saltiness is often what I need - just with a piece of bread.
- On this blog I have featured Vegemite in my recipes, reminiscences and posts about what is in my kitchen. I love experimenting with it in recipes but I
sometimes wish I was not been so timid in adding it.
Vegemite on toast or in sandwiches:
The above poster from Scienceworks Museum reminds us that vegemite and cheese sandwiches is a not a new idea. It was pretty simple then. The variety of ways to each Vegemite on bread these days show how versatile it is. The creamy texture and salty flavour combination is a winner. but Vegemite also goes well with nutty and spicy.
Vegemite in a sandwich with:
- Cheese:
A classic sandwich that I have had a bazillion times - Crushed walnuts:
A favourite sandwich from my primary school lunches. We all know that a salty crunchy treat is the bees knees. I wish I ate these sandwiches more now.
- Cream cheese:
A delicious soft oozy snack
Vegemite on toast with
- Melted cheese:
This was a fine childhood comfort food to be eaten in front of the tv rather than with a knife and fork at the table. If I were to try a vegan version, I think this would work well with grilling cashew cream in place of the cheese.
- Dahl:
Great use of leftovers, though not necessarily endorsed by Indian cooks, Adding vegemite is like a flavour boost. Fantastic fusion food. I remember enjoying this when I was pregnant and feeling queasy about food. - Avocado:
This is a delicious 21st Century idea that has been embraced by younger people. The mellow and salty toppings make a great mix. Tomatoes and ground pepper are optional but recommended. - Mashed potato:
Another fine comfort food that I picked up from an English housemate in my student days. No coincidence that the same friend taught me how to make excellent mashed potato. I usually have cold leftover mashed potato with vegemite on toast.
- Macadamia butter:
A posh idea that is especially recommended for vegans wanting to replicate the vegemite and cheese experience.
There are many more combinations. Others sandwich combinations I have heard of are Vegemite and lettuce or Vegemite and sultanas. People also like Vegemite on toast with a fried egg. Then there is this Vegorama sandwich with Vegemite, cottage cheese, grated carrot and lettuce for those who wonder if you can try it in a salad sandwich. I also love the sound of vegemite mixed with mayonnaise as sauce for a burger. Anything goes.
Vegemite productsThe secret to longevity in products seems to be keeping the people interested by creating new ways to sell it. It amazes me how many Vegemite flavoured products has been produced over the past decade or two. Now you can get versions that are gluten free or low salt.
My favourite Vegemite-based product is the Arnotts Vegemite Shapes. These crackers get the flavour right and make it so addictive that it can't be good for me but it is so good. And the crackers come in the shape of Australia. If you worry about Tasmania missing out, don't worry as there are some special Tassie shaped crackers. Brilliant. I was pretty impressed by the Cad bury chocolate block with a Vegemite caramel filling. The Vegemite peanuts, Smiths crisps and Bagel Crisps are excellent. I was pretty happy with the cheese and vegemite hot cross buns a year or so ago. I was less impressed with the SPC vVgemite baked beans. The flavour was not right. And I didn't like the McCains Vegemite pizzas but I am not a fan of these types of pizzas. These are only some of the Vegemite products to be found on supermarket shelves.
Vegemite has also been a creative force in the restaurant and cafe industry in Melbourne. I love how Zaatar's sells a fusion Vegemite and cheese pie. Many cafes can do vegemite on toast, though they always give enough vegemite to last a month. Occasionally I have found a vegemite and cheese toastie. Most impressive was the White Chocolate Vegemite Ice Cream at Fluffy Tonedos in Smith Street, Fitzroy. An excellent use of the salty umami flavour to tame white chocolate which is often too sweet for me. An online search turns up some innovative restaurant offerings of Vegemite flavoured dishes that I wish I could try.
Finally
There is much else to be done with Vegemite. I am hoping there will be a Vegemite tim tam soon and I would like to try baking Cheeseymite Hot Cross Buns, or adding Vegemite to recipes such as a tofu scramble, mac and cheese dumplings and savoury French toast . I have found plenty of inspiration online and hope I have added a little myself with this post. Stay tuned for more ....
In the meanwhile you might like to check out more Australian food icons and recipes.
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