Tuesday, April 15, 2008

15-Apr-08 Marmite - A National Sensation

There is a food spread that, if you mention to a Brit, they will either love it or hate it, and will go on about the first time they had it. It is called marmite (pronounced "mar-might"). Until I looked it up on-line, I really didn’t know what it was, but I had heard all about it being quite a contentious subject.

And now I’ve tasted it, but I can’t describe it. It is similar to honey in texture, but you use it sparingly, and it has a bitter, salty flavour to it. (In Australia, they have something similar called Vegemite.) From the production of beer, there is a yeast extract that gets further baked/refined and becomes marmite; it was first produced back in the early 1900’s, I believe right after World War I. I can say that I quite enjoy the marmite-flavoured crisps, as they have a nice salty taste.

But, as instructed to lightly spread it on my toast in the morning, I had to choke it down and follow up with a large glass of orange juice to clear the palate. Similar to black coffee, I’m sure you just have to get used to it. And many will say that you either love it or hate it, there is no in-between. If you ever try marmite on your toast, DO NOT smother it like marmalade as you’ll be in for a big surprise. Use it sparingly.

I'm not sure if you can even get it in the US.

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