58 replies to this topic

[PCL]

It seems like the FDA have nothing better to do than fluff around banning stuff that's good for you while approving massive amounts of proprietary pharmaceuticals that make fat cats richer...

A little bit of Vegemite goes a long way towards producing healthy sporty kids... I for one believe truly madly deeply in the adverts

[Shalmanese]

There was no ban

[Kouign Aman]

Aint that a confusing "it aint so" (the Snopes article, which I've read before, and which is why I went to FDA website).

1) no impact on personal travel and bringing souvenirs
2) Kraft says they cant wholesale, the FDA says "we didnt tell em that"!
3) Kraft says its because of folate, FDA says if the folate is naturally occuring its not a problem.....

Wonder if Kraft is trying to drive up sales here by starting a rumor of shortage?

[whisks]

have i missed something or hasn't anyone mentioned tiger toast???
toast spread with butter, vegemite, then sprinkled with grated cheese and grilled until bubbly n golden....very morish and quite addictive for a number of days

Edited by whisks, 02 January 2007 - 01:53 AM.

[chappie]

Mmmm. I am going to try the Tiger Toast today.

My friend brought me a tiny jar last week of Vegemite, mostly as revenge for a prank we played on him some 14 years ago when he was 14 -- held him down and forced a container of Crystal Light powder (concentrated to make a couple gallons, I think) into his mouth. Intense!

So he wanted me to eat the entire Vegemite jar. Of course, this was impossible as it is saltier than salt.

But, days later I tried it proper, thinly spread on some buttered toast, and now am addicted. In our small town in Maryland, I can only get Marmite (British kind), so that will have to do for now.

I simply can't eat enough of it, and my bread-and-butter intake has risen accordingly. Is this common? Do most people who grow up on either yeast extract spread want to eat it all the time?

[insomniac]

yep

[chappie]

Being that these spreads basically evolved from the desire to find a marketable use for the leftover yeast from brewing, it's not too far-fetched to say Vegemite and Marmite are, in essence, concentrated beer.

So perhaps it is not a B-vitamin deficiency I am satisfying but a beer deficiency. Time to drink more beer!

[chappie]

Aha — Great news today. It turns out my wife's coworker will be spending her honeymoon in Australia, so I have a now have a one-time source for Vegemite! I better slip her some cash and have her bring back the largest container available. Any other Australian delights she should bring back (ooooh... I like Violet Crumble)?

Do they sell the NZ Marmite there? I would like to do a taste comparison between Vegemite and both Marmites. I probably shouldn't bog her down with a big list though; she should be focusing on more important matters (hopefully) on her honeymoon than fulfilling a coworker's husband's culinary curiousities.

[whisks]

chappie - ever had tim tams? i think the closest thing i can think of is an oreo with a chocolate filling and coated in chocolate. ppl usually eat a whole packet at a time (not i) and the true connosieurs have it with a hot coffee and the following ritual - take a small bite out of one corner and another small bite out of the corner diagonally across from the first bitten corner; hold the tim tam with one bitten corner in the hot coffee and the other bitten corner in one's mouth and suck through the bitten corner in one's mouth....the filling should melt as it is sucked into one's mouth...i have never tried this personally, but u might like it.....i'll just stick to tiger toast.

[insomniac]

the biggest vegemite jar is 910 grams hehehehe..............big,
but vegemite comes in squeezy tubes now, which are light to carry.
can recommend the tim tams; have you tried cherry ripe ?(chocolate bars)

[Shalmanese]

Aha — Great news today. It turns out my wife's coworker will be spending her honeymoon in Australia, so I have a now have a one-time source for Vegemite! I better slip her some cash and have her bring back the largest container available. Any other Australian delights she should bring back (ooooh... I like Violet Crumble)?

Do they sell the NZ Marmite there? I would like to do a taste comparison between Vegemite and both Marmites. I probably shouldn't bog her down with a big list though; she should be focusing on more important matters (hopefully) on her honeymoon than fulfilling a coworker's husband's culinary curiousities.

When I moved to the US, I did a giant supermarket sweep. Here is what I brought over:

Vegemite
Tim Tams
Cherry Ripe
Violet Crumble
Caramello Koalas
Minties
Fantails
Tiny Teddies
Fruit Rollups
Pizza Shapes

Thats a reasonably comprehensive list of Australian stuff you could ask to be brought back.

[whisks]

Shalmanese's list is almost the same as mine for the things i like to get for my friends o/s, altho i do add "connector" pens to the list for those friends with children. i also like to get ppl twisties....i love twisties.
isn't it ironic that the company which makes tim tams, shapes and tiny teddies (arnotts) is american, as is the company which makes vegemite (kraft) and americans have to have their friends bring over american branded items???

[orangewasabi]

Aha — Great news today. It turns out my wife's coworker will be spending her honeymoon in Australia, so I have a now have a one-time source for Vegemite! I better slip her some cash and have her bring back the largest container available. Any other Australian delights she should bring back (ooooh... I like Violet Crumble)?

add minties to your list.

but seriously, maybe not the largest container available.

My grandparents bring over cans of vegemite -- they're the huge. I dunno exactly how much the cans hold . . . they are the size used for commercial canned fruit etc. It's a lot.

[Cadbury]

Aha — Great news today. It turns out my wife's coworker will be spending her honeymoon in Australia, so I have a now have a one-time source for Vegemite! I better slip her some cash and have her bring back the largest container available. Any other Australian delights she should bring back (ooooh... I like Violet Crumble)?

Do they sell the NZ Marmite there? I would like to do a taste comparison between Vegemite and both Marmites. I probably shouldn't bog her down with a big list though; she should be focusing on more important matters (hopefully) on her honeymoon than fulfilling a coworker's husband's culinary curiousities.

I think you would be better off asking for several smaller jars of vegemite, that way it remains fresh. Unopened jars will last for a long time, well passed the use-by/best-by date.
I've not seen NZ marmite - but then I've never looked. We're vegemite and promite eaters in this house. I know that shops specialising in NZ products can be found.
I can recommend toasted/grilled cheese and vegemite sandwiches as well as vegemite and finely grated cheese sandwiches (untoasted).

If you ask for Tim Tams, go the regular variety not the double choc, cuppacino or other varieties - there are more in the regular pack.

[Shalmanese]

I think you would be better off asking for several smaller jars of vegemite, that way it remains fresh.  Unopened jars will last for a long time, well passed the use-by/best-by date.
I've not seen NZ marmite - but then I've never looked.  We're vegemite and promite eaters in this house. I know that shops specialising in NZ products can be found.
I can recommend toasted/grilled cheese and vegemite sandwiches as well as vegemite and finely grated cheese sandwiches (untoasted).

If you ask for Tim Tams, go the regular variety not the double choc, cuppacino or other varieties - there are more in the regular pack.

Vegemite? Fresh?

[infernooo]

Vegemite? Fresh?

Unopened they are OK, but once opened they really don't last as long as one would think.. they don't go off per'se, but the flavour does degrade into something not too pleasant!

Edited by infernooo, 04 February 2007 - 03:32 PM.

[insomniac]

Unopened they are OK, but once opened they really don't last as long as one would think.. they don't go off per'se, but the flavour does degrade into something not too pleasant!

and many would ask, 'How can you tell?'

[Cadbury]

Vegemite? Fresh?

Unopened they are OK, but once opened they really don't last as long as one would think.. they don't go off per'se, but the flavour does degrade into something not too pleasant!

Yup, and if the lid is left off, it will dry up somewhat and become harder to spread. That said, i have been known to use vegemite from a jar three years past its date (what can I say - I was desperate!!)

[Ce'nedra]

That said, i have been known to use vegemite from a jar three years past its date (what can I say - I was desperate!!)

You win

Has anyone tried cooking with vegemite? That should be interesting!

[Amarantha]

Vegemite makes a great background-flavour addition to stews and the like - it's a bit like a really rich, reduced stock.

[Ce'nedra]

A stew?! Would have never thought! Thanks for letting me know -might need to experiment one day (of course, only when parents aren't at home eating).

[Domestic Goddess]

Bumping this thread up since I have been gifted with a large jar of Vegemite by a grateful Aussie who I've been gifting baked foodie items from my kitchen. I love the stuff! Now I'm off to seach for recipes for it at its website -vegemite.com.au

How does one store Vegemite? Do I stick it in the fridge or what?

*Off to make another Vegemite-cheese toast sandwich.

[Taubear]

How does one store Vegemite? Do I stick it in the fridge or what?

Just leave it in your pantry. No nned to put it in the fridge as it never goes off.

[Domestic Goddess]

Thanks Taubear. It does seem to spread better on toast rather than on regular bread. I could imagine it getting hard in the fridge.

Just had another Vegemite cheese toast sandwich for brekkies today.

[melamed]

my introduction to vegemite was in NZ, a friendly nzlander gave us a jar and couldn't wait for our reaction. Working in a bio laboratory it immediately reminded me of my lab experiments, yuck. However, I think I that using it in stews, as mentioned above, is a great idea. It is high in glutamates, a flavor enhancer. In fact the food industry likes to write yeast extract instead of MSG because it sounds healthier (I don't remember where I read that).

[nickrey]

When my daughter was young we used to put a smear of vegemite on her teething rusk.

Needless to say, today she enjoys both vegemite and umami rich foods.

[haresfur]

Kraft just introduced myfirst Vegemite. Formulated as a gateway drug for young children. It apparently has added vitamins B6 and B12, and half the salt of the original. I guess selling low salt food to adults is out of the question here.

I bought a jar of MightyMite, because it has less salt than Vegemite, but I still think it is awfully salty. So maybe myfirst would be a suitable gateway for foreigners and transplants, too.

[annachan]

Just finishing my first vegemite toast. Didn't put cheese on (will try that next time) but it's on bacon and cheese bread. I think I put too much on as I'm getting very thirsty and the coffee isn't helping.

Good to know that you can use it in cooking. I use Bovril in my cooking at times (stews, soups, etc.) when I have that on hand. But that stuff is so darn expensive here so vegemite will have to do.

[patrickamory]

I absolutely adore Marmite. I spread it thickly on toast, bread, anything - no butter. I'll also eat it straight from the jar.

Incredible secret ingredient in chili by the way - adds a major umami component.