We had a guest at Sunset last week, a friend from Australia. And when he asked me what he could bring, I half-jokingly suggested a large jar of Vegemite (since we can only get small jars here in the States). I say “half-jokingly” because, though I certainly would like a larger jar than usual, I wasn’t really expecting him to actually do it. But he did, all right, and in fact trumped my joke by bringing me this (as he called it) “meme-sized” container; I left the butter dish in the picture to give y’all a sense of scale, since I doubt many people outside of Australia have ever seen one this large. Honestly, I doubt many people inside of Australia have seen one this large; it seems unlikely most families can go through almost a kilogram of Vegemite in an amount of time that would make an institutional-size container worthwhile. I’m certainly going to try, though, because I love the stuff. A lot of people think I’m a picky eater because I despise green, leafy vegetables, but outside of those I actually have a pretty broad palate and will try just about anything at least once (unless its smell stops me). And a few things I’ve tried on my travels have become favorites, among them Vegemite, Stornoway black pudding and St. Louis gooey butter cake (which I am realizing I could probably make at home). It’s true that I was a picky eater as a child, but that was mostly because so many things made me sick I preferred to err on the side of caution. Then as I got older I resolved to keep trying things so as to broaden my tastes, and didn’t stop with what most Americans consider palatable. But despite enjoying lots of things a lot of Americans won’t even try (such as haggis), I still can’t get near any of the brassicas without feeling nauseous.
Diary #634
August 23, 2022 by Maggie McNeill
Posted in Diary | Tagged Australia, psychology | 5 Comments
5 Responses
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I’ve always been a picky eater, but among the few vegetables I can stomach are raw leafy brassica such as cabbage. I also have no problem with turnip root if it’s raw. But I absolutely detest mustard.
Wow! A Kg of Vegemite.
I found a source for .6 Kg Marmite (another yeast extract spread), but never for institutional sized Vegemite.
I enjoy both spreads. Very interesting, and very distinct, flavors.
For sandwiches, either works well as contrasting flavor with thinly spread Nutella (a Hazelnut and Cocoa based spread).
Add kippered herring, or bacon and thinly sliced tomatoes, and you’ve got heaven in a sandwich.
Yes, I’m Australian and I’ve never seen a Vegemite container that large in any of my local supermarkets.
What do you use it for ? Supplrment ? Instead if butter or oil ?
It’s a condiment. I like it on buttered toast, and on grilled cheese sandwiches.