Comment by hilbert42 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by hilbert42 | Hacker News Reader

I'm writing this because like all Vegemite lovers I have to stand up and be counted as one.

As Vegemite-ers know, there's absolutely no point discussing Vegemite with those from overseas, especially Americans, let alone trying to get them to taste it. It's a total waste of time! What's more it's potentially risky—a foreigner could likely file assault charges on grounds of attempted poisoning.

For the record, I'll eat spoonfuls of the stuff and others around me have been known to hide it away save there being none left. Recently, I've taken to the salt reduced version and I actually rather like it (and I suppose 40% salt reduction is a good thing).

Quite some years ago a relative of mine who's living in the US packed eight of the largest jars made to stockpile in his Vegemite-forsaken adopted homeland and apparently US Customs started prodding the jars looking for illicit substances. From what I can gather he wasn't arrested nor were the jars confiscated.

'Spoonfuls' doesn't help with the the impression that Vegemite needs to be portioned correctly. I would guess, most Americans are put off my Vegemite because their first notion is to grab a spoonful and shove it in their mouths with nothing else as they would with peanut butter. Of course it doesn't help thst, my guess from experience, is that most Australians would encourage the action while trying to hold back their laughter.

Disclosure: I am an American, I live in Australia, I like my Vegemite thin and my peanut butter thick :-)

Have you tried thin Vegemite on top of thick peanut butter on top of thick butter? Thank me later. :)

> Of course it doesn't help thst, my guess from experience, is that most Australians would encourage the action while trying to hold back their laughter.

Whilst funny, the problems with pranks like this is that Americans start to armour up and don't listen to important advice we give them, e.g putting vegemite behind the ears with a couple of forks when going through dropbeae heavy regions. This is why so many of the poor buggers end up mauled or even dead.

Strine!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strine

It's often remarked that American bread is reminiscent of cake, in that is loaded with sugar. I wonder if they would like it better on more traditional, wholemeal bread. I also note that the post falls to mention butter, which is a key ingredient in any Vegemite-on-toast preparation.

Also, the article compares Vegemite to soy sauce. While Vegemite is salty, black and umami flavoured, I think it is more similar to Japanese miso soup.

Butter? Oh, no no no. I'm definitely a fan of just Vegemite, spread thick, and toast. Adding butter is just diluting the pure goodness of the product, adulteration it with a moderating flavour and texture if you will.

Also, Vegemite and avocado is a great pair. As is Vegemite and a hard chrap cheese like tasty cheese.

"Adding butter is just diluting the pure goodness of the product,"

Ah, a peron after my own heart. It's nice to know I'm not alone out there. ;-)

Checking in as an American who really loves vegemite and butter on toast in the morning. Thankfully I live in a large city where it’s easy to find.

I generally like strong flavors (Matcha, fermented foods, heavy garlic, didn’t hate Durian) so it was a welcome find!

Right, there has to be some! I've even met a few myself. But I'll bet the per capita is mighty low. ;-)

From my observation, there are (roughly) two types of people who love Vegemite, Marmite, Promite, etc.—those who like strong flavors like you and I do and those who are brought up on it from not long after they've been weaned.

If you check out the YouTube link in my other comment you'll note it's aimed at kids. For example, when I was in primary school kids (me included) would often have Vegemite and lettuce sandwiches (kids just wouldn't eat lettuce sandwiches alone). As contrast, our second sandwich would be something quite different (honey and peanut butter, ham and tomato, etc.).

I eat chilies, curries and such and was introduced to them very young too, so no doubt that helped. But not completely, some of my liking for strong flavors was innate. I recall when I was about 5 going on 6 my mother made me weak tea with lots of milk and sugar. One day I told her not to put sugar in my tea and only one week later told her to stop the milk and to make it stronger, ever since I've only ever drunk it sans milk and sugar (I simply won't drink tea if either is added).

I must have had the wrong matcha. I've never found one that has much of a taste at all.

It's nice, of course, but like chamomile or earl grey - subtle delicacies to be savoured, rather than reveling in the glorious boldness of it all.

You have definitely had the wrong matcha. Prepared the traditional way (powder, hot water, and a bamboo whisk), it is a bit foamy, strongly bitter, with grassy notes.

Garlic, a strong flavor?

Try asafoetida.

When I visited the US office of the company I worked for, I made vegemite on toast and offered it around. Most responses were meh but the one positive I got was from a person of Chinese ethnicity.

I think the "soy sauce in solid form" is a pretty good beginner description but of course it is also quite distinct.

There are schools of vegemite thought too; warm or hot toast? Slather the vegemite on or just add dabs on top of melting butter?

Soy sauce in solid form is an excellent description. I actually do this in reverse in Taiwan, where they have a type of thick soy sauce called 醬油膏. It's used in the local cuisine to build umami flavor in sauces and stir-fries or sometimes as a condiment, but it also works as a marmite-replacement. I tend to put it in a dish with some olive oil for margarine-replacement and dip chunks of bread into it to get my "foreign" food fix.

I imagine most people from soy sauce eating countries in Asia would understand the flavor profile, it might be more the combination with toast that feels unexpected.

In Malaysian Chinese restaurants a common dish is "Marmite chicken" which I imagine uses the same principle.

We also dip buttered toast into softboil eggs with soya sauce and pepper so make of that what you will lol

I liked roti canai a lot, when I was in KL, and used to have it and roti telur often, in those Malaysian neighborhood cafes.

Nostalgia ...

Vegemite tastes metallic to me. I much prefer marmite

Have you tried the salt reduced version (the one with the blue stripe around the top of the label)? It's definitely softer and sweeter than the original and a little more like Marmite (sort of halfway in between).

Also see: Branston Pickle

> there's absolutely no point discussing Vegemite with those from overseas, especially Americans, let alone trying to get them to taste it

Not so fast my friend! Ich bin ein sheiz Ami who is no stranger to sesos, lengua, offal, Asian ingenuity and piping hot street food spanning four continents.

Describe the Vegemite. On biscuits or toast? If with beer, a pilsner or stout? Please.

I recommend trying it thinly spread on buttered toast

Perhaps so, but as I said above, I'll bet the per capita is low. Even Australians who aren't brought up with the stuff from a very early age just won't eat it either.

I would recommend a pilsner. Vegemite itself has stouty tones. The pilsener would provide some contrast.

Yeah, we like to think foreigners can't hack it - but we had an American friend staying with us for a while, and one day I came out to breakfast to find him having Vegemite and peanut butter layered on top of each other, on the same piece of toast.

Jesus, Craig - what the hell were you thinking!?!?

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