food reviews: March 2008 Archives

I got an email from a friend this morning who up until yesterday, thought Vegemite was a fictional substance.  When she found out it was real, she called upon me and my experiences in Australia to learn more.  Here is my response to her:

"Yes, I have suffered through the insufferable Vegemite.  (Although I never had an entire sandwich.  Just one little dob on the end of a spoon was enough to make me gag.)  It's a super-Aussie thing to eat, apparently it is made from the yeasty byproduct of all the beer they brew.  It's like grape jelly to them, and they put it on toast, sandwiches....they even have those little individual snack packages like we have with cheese where there are 4 crackers, a compartment for the cheese (or in this case, Vegemite), and that little red stick to wipe it on the cracker.

I was forced to eat it by my Aussie friends, despite my violent protests.  They are very loyal to their Vegemite, and they insisted that I might as well not have ever lived in Australia if I didn't eat it. 

It was DISGUSTING.  It tastes like rancid fur.  Seriously.  Imagine pouring a Guinness and then skimming the foam off the top, putting that foam in a petri dish, letting it dry into a paste and rot and grow mold, then mixing it with about 50% salt.  That is what Vegemite tastes like."

If you're daring and you want to eat furry rancid beer paste....Vegemite can be found in the States at places like World Market.  Best of luck with that.  I'll be over here.