10 Interesting Facts about Vegemite

Those who love to eat some food with paste, one of these following facts about Vegemite should be really interesting for you to read. Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste which is made from leftover brewers’ yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives developed by Cyril P. Callister in Melbourne, Victoria, in 1922. To get to know more about this paste, here are some other facts about vegemite you should know.

Facts about Vegemite 1: Texture

Vegemite is salty, slightly bitter and malty, and rich in umami, similar to beef bouillon. The texture is smooth and the product is a paste. It is not as intensely flavoured as British Marmite and it is less sweet than the New Zealand version of Marmite.

Facts about Vegemite 2: Eating Preparation

A common method of eating Vegemite is on toasted bread with one layer of butter or margarine before spreading a thin layer of Vegemite. A Vegemite sandwich may consist of two slices of buttered bread, Vegemite and cheese, but other ingredients such as lettuce, avocado and tomato can be added as well.

Facts about Vegemite 3: Halal Certification

In 2010, Vegemite received Halal certification. While this was welcomed by Australian Muslims, Kraft was criticised by the Family Council of Victoria, which labelled it as “ridiculous” political correctness. Kraft dismissed such claims as “racist [and] bigoted commentary”.

Facts about Vegemite 4: Nutritional Information

Vegemite is one of the world’s richest known sources of B vitamins, specifically thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folid acid, but unlike Marmite and some other yeast extracts, it contains no vitamin B12. The main ingredient of Vegemite is yeast extract, which contains a high concentration of glutamic acid.

Facts about Vegemite 5: Vegemite Singles

During the 1990s, Kraft released a product in Australia known as Vegemite Singles. It combined two of Kraft’s major products into one. The product consisted of Kraft Singles with Vegemite added, thus creating Vegemite-flavoured cheese. This extension of the Vegemite product line was an attempt by Kraft to capitalise on the enormous popularity of Vegemite and cheese sandwiches (made by placing a slice of cheese into a Vegemite sandwich). Vegemite Singles were later taken off the market.

Facts about Vegemite 6: Vegemite Cheesybite

On 13 June 2009, Kraft released a new version of Vegemite. The formula combines Vegemite and Kraft cream cheese, spreads more easily and has a considerably less salty and milder taste than the original. To coincide with the release of the new recipe, Kraft ran a competition to give the new flavor a name, that is Vegemite Cheesybite.

Facts about Vegemite 7: My First Vegemite

On 16 February 2011, Kraft Foods Australia launched “My First Vegemite”, a special formulation of original Vegemite for children aged older than one year. According to Kraft, the new formula has a “milder taste” and “additional health benefits including iron, B6 and B12 vitamins as well as 50% less sodium”. Kraft says the new formulation is in direct response to consumer demand for foods with lower sugar and salt content plus additional health benefit.

Facts about Vegemite 8: Name Change

Australian grocers began selling Vegemite in 1923. Vegemite’s name was changed briefly in 1928 to “Parwill,” but the name “Vegemite” was reinstated permanently shortly thereafter.

Facts about Vegemite 9: Rumor of Ban in the USA and Denmark

In October 2006, an Australian news company reported that Vegemite had been banned in the United States, and that the United States Customs Service had gone so far as to search Australians entering the country for Vegemite because it contains folate, a B vitamin approved as an additive in the U.S. for just a few foods, including breakfast cereals.

Facts about Vegemite 10: Production

During 1997 the mainstay of breakfast tables from suburban kitchens to five-star hotel buffets celebrated its 75th birthday. And therefore, about 22.7 million jars of Vegemite are manufacture in Australia every year, about 235 jars per minute, since then.

Those who love cheese then might really like eating Vegemite since it’s rich of nutrition and vitamins. Hope you would find those Vegemite facts really interesting and useful for your health.