Vegemite, the popular Australian food, has been the butt of jokes for as long as we can remember. It’s probably as synonymous with Australia as kangaroos are. But what exactly is vegemite and what does it taste like?
Vegemite is a savory spread for sandwiches, bread, pastries, and the like. It’s salty, slightly bitter, and somewhat malty in flavor. It has a thick, almost solid consistency, and smells like chicken broth and sulfur.
While it sort of vaguely resembles Nutella, don’t be fooled! Vegemite has almost the opposite flavor palate from Nutella.
How to Eat Vegemite
A lot of first-time vegemite eaters make the mistake of spreading on vegemite the way you might peanut butter or Nutella. This does make sense as vegemite has a texture and consistency that is similar to peanut butter.
However, any vegemite eater will tell you that that’s overkill. The best way to add vegemite to your food is in a tiny, thin layer.
What’s in Vegemite
You might be wondering what kind of food could possibly produce a product that ticks all the boxes vegemite does.
It’s made from the extract of leftover brewers’ yeast, along with vegetables and spice additives. Due to amino acids contained in it, vegemite also tends to have a flavor that is similar to soy sauce.
What Does Vegemite Smell Like
Ask five different people what vegemite smells like, and you’ll get five different answers, which makes sense. When a scientist looked at the different odors contained in vegemite, there were 40 distinct smells.
Some of the usual smells were there, such as citrus, peppers, almond, and honey. However, the aroma also included things such as rancid, wax, soap, and old people’s smell. Although some of the normal smells are found in higher amounts, the sheer number of smells created an unpleasant aroma.
What Else Tastes Like Vegemite
Vegemite is as unique in flavor as it is in smell. There is almost nothing comparable. However, if you are really looking for a substitute for vegemite, the only option is its English counterpart, Marmite.
While both spreads are salty and fairly pungent, they have pretty big differences as well.
Marmite is sweet and salty with a syrupy consistency sort of like molasses. Vegemite, on the other hand, is salty, bitter, and malty with a thick smooth consistency, like peanut butter.
To Sum Up
Vegemite is a unique substance all its own. It tastes simultaneously salty, bitter, malty, and like soy sauce while having a consistency like peanut butter. An interesting, complex aroma smells overpoweringly of chicken broth and sulfur.
If you decide to give this unmatched food a try, remember that less is more. A tiny scrape across some toast will have you rivaling the Australians for their perfect breakfast.