Jump to content
  • Welcome to the eG Forums, a service of the eGullet Society for Culinary Arts & Letters. The Society is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of the culinary arts. These advertising-free forums are provided free of charge through donations from Society members. Anyone may read the forums, but to post you must create a free account.

Marmite


Recommended Posts

Is there already a Marmite thread somewhere If so, I apologize. I can't find one.

A week or so ago, a visiting friend brought me a jar of Vegemite as a sort of payback for a stunt we pulled on him long ago when he was 14. We had pinned him down and forced a container of Crystal Light (artificially sweetened, super-concentrated drink mix, intented to make a gallon or two) into his mouth.

So he dared me to eat the entire jar of Vegemite, which I couldn't. A few days later I tried it properly on buttered toast and became hooked. When I ran out, I found Marmite was the only available, similar product in my town, and I think it's even better. Seriously, I bought the Marmite jar on Friday and it's about 2/3 gone already.

I like it better than anchovy. I even like it better than cheese right now. I'm surprised Japan doesn't revere the stuff with its "umami" properties, though I guess you could use miso in a similar fashion.

What else do you do with Marmite? I imagine it would be great in a stew, similar to the effect a tin of anchovies has, melting into the background.

Is it normal to want to consume this stuff all the time? And is there a discernable difference between Marmite (the British kind) and Vegemite?

I had Bovril a long, long time ago and read somewhere that it too is all vegetable now. How does it compare?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is it normal to want to consume this stuff all the time? And is there a discernable difference between Marmite (the British kind) and Vegemite?

It is very more-ish. I can ignore it for ages, but once I get started....

What size jar have you consumed?

Vegemite and Marmite are distinctly different. There are several brands of Vegemite. Some are a weak copy (in flavor) of Marmite (Kraft brand, which I think is the original Vegemite) and some are simply horrible (Sanitarium brand comes to mind). The only benefit to Vegemite, IMO, is that you can spread it a bit thicker with impunity. Marmite requires conscious restraint in application.

Never cooked with it, my dad makes gravy with it, I've eaten it off the spoon. The cats like it, the munchkin liked it from first taste.

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Classic response!

I suppose you're going to start giving me that older married-man advice about Marmite: "Don't start something you can't finish," "Make sure you've chosen the right yeast extract spread to spend your life with," etc.

OK, off to make some Marmite on toast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nope. I'm just gonna wait patiently til your local supplier runs out and you have to do without for a while. :wink:

I get it in huge jars, carried across the pond in the suitcase of my aunt (which last sentence is causing flashbacks to French class). :eek:

editted to add:

last night the munchkin found a 'travel size' (~ 1 T) marmite container, opened same, and ate the entire contents off a finger tip. You are not alone!

Edited by Kouign Aman (log)

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

nobody i know here [He/olland] touches the stuff. simply spread it on brown bread every day, and extra at weekends :) i even use it on crumpets, sometimes in a soup broth, or jus. i' also have Vegemite and a big jar of Bovril in the cupboard...to be opened upon my return in april :rolleyes:

ps: Bovril now has beef extract again. the EU has lifted British beef products recently.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try marmite and cheese together - like gouda or cheddar, on hot buttered toast/sandwiches and its also good with cheese and baked beans on toast - mmmmmmm

The English ad campaign is centered around the fact you either love it or hate it

"Experience is something you gain just after you needed it" ....A Wise man

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Had marmite once on a cracker. Can't say I'll be eating it on toast anytime soon. I thought it tasted a lot like Maggi sauce but thicker. Maggie is awesome on fried or boiled eggs -- maybe Marmite would be good like that too?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That works - my sister will literally try it withanything, i also add a bit to cream chheese andeat with celery/carrot sticks

Vegemite seems better on bread not toast and is an excellent hangover cure - all that vit b12 etc is quite salty so makes you drinka lot of water too which can't hurta hangover!

"Experience is something you gain just after you needed it" ....A Wise man

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now, I've been exposed here as a Marmite neophyte, but in my week-long addiction thus far, I only eat it on non-toasted bread while waiting for other pieces to toast.

If Vegemite has certain properties, doesn't Marmite as well? Subtle flavor and strength differences aside, aren't the essentially the same breed of product?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They hava lot in common but i think they are essentially pretty different - i know a lot of kiwis/aussies who swear by vegemite but won't touch marmite. I find them preet similar but think vegemite is better for hangovers as it is not as sharp as marmite and has a deeper flavour

"Experience is something you gain just after you needed it" ....A Wise man

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd argue the deeper flavor, but V is certainly safer to spread when hung over as it is not as concentrated.

M on toast, M on bread - its all good.

"You dont know everything in the world! You just know how to read!" -an ah-hah! moment for 6-yr old Miss O.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm unusual in UK in that I neither particularly like nor dislike Marmite - normally it excites fierce debates between the lovers and haters. We buy the smallest pot, and it lasts us about 5 years - about twice a year, maybe when I'm not feeling too well, I just fancy toast spread with the thinnest possible smear of Marmite, with a big mug of tea: that just hits the spot.

Whe I was at university, my housemates & I cooked our way through 'The Bean Book', by Rose Elliot (I shared with some serious vegetarians). The most disgusting dish by far was Continental Lentil Toad in the Hole With Marmite Gravy'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recently had the pleasure to meet a charming and sprightly septugenarian who is well-known for her roast chicken (amongst other things), cooked in her farmhouse AGA in North Devon. The secret? She spreads the breasts of the chicken thickly with Marmite then layers slabs of bacon over. I've tried it myself. The Marmite flavour cooks into the chicken and is not really noticeable, though it seems to add a certain je ne sais quoi, perhaps a slighter richer, deeper flavour as well as richness to the pan gravy. Worth trying!

As for Marmite straight out of the jar, I'm afraid I'm strictly in the 'hate it' camp.

MP

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marmite crabs sounds v. interesting - is it made like crab with black bean sauce, but substituting Marmite? Am so not sure about the roast chicken, though - I'd have thought it would make the cooking juices (and skin) pretty salty? Or does the bacon take up the flavour?

Marmite on toast can be tricky 'cos it generally doesn't spread evenly, so you get clumps of flavour and then a bite with nothing... On crumpets, though, you can afford to be more generous with the Marmite, as it melts into the body of the crumpet. Every bite is thus Marmite-y. Heaven.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marmite crabs sounds v. interesting - is it made like crab with black bean sauce, but substituting Marmite? ...[snip]...

Well, yes. Garlic as aromatics and marmite for the sauce. Like Marco Polo said, the marmite taste is not really noticeable. Forgot to mention, it follows that marmite prawns are a hit too.

TPcal!

Food Pix (plus others)

Please take pictures of all the food you get to try (and if you can, the food at the next tables)............................Dejah

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Marmite on toast can be tricky 'cos it generally doesn't spread evenly, so you get clumps of flavour and then a bite with nothing... On crumpets, though, you can afford to be more generous with the Marmite, as it melts into the body of the crumpet. Every bite is thus Marmite-y. Heaven.

Aaah, now Nigella recommends smooshing marmite in with the butter before spreading and I can say this works a treat, even for someone like me who prefers 95% marmite to 5% butter

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I always add marmite to any mincmeat recipe- cottage pie etc, and to gravy....can't say I'm as mad about it as the rest of my family...they fight about it. Recently bought a squeezy jar, but you still get some left that you can't quite get to!!!

http://www.allium.uk.net

http://alliumfood.wordpress.com/ the alliumfood blog

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming - Whey hey what a ride!!!, "

Sarah Poli, Firenze, Kibworth Beauchamp

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The jar I have is the (standard?) 4.4-ounce, or 125-gram, container. I bought it last Friday and I'm about to start scraping tomorrow, so it looks like one of those a week for awhile. That is, if my local suppy holds up. But I heard there's an English lady in town who demands it ... so I am not alone.

I'm thinking this will be a good addtion to a venison Guinness stew with loads of root vegetables.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...