Vegemite - History, Typical preparation, Nutritional information, Brand, Australian Slang, Popular culture

The registered trade name for a popular Australian spread for sliced bread. First produced in 1923 under the name Parwill, vegemite is a concentrated yeast based on vegetable extract, now owned by the multi-national Kraft Corporation.

Portions of the summary below have been contributed by Wikipedia.

The brand is now owned by Kraft Foods, an American multinational that is part of the Altria Group of companies and Australian produced Vegemite is available in the United Kingdom.

History

Vegemite's name was picked at random out of a hat by Fred Walker's daughter, Sheilah.

In October 2006, the Melbourne Herald Sun reported that Vegemite is banned in the USA, with Customs officials going so far as to even search Australians for Vegemite when they enter the country, but later reports cast doubt on the claim.

Typical preparation

Vegemite can be spread very thinly with butter to help to soften the strong taste, or with sliced or melted cheese. A variation on vegemite toast is 'tiger toast' — where after spreading with vegemite, strips of cheese are melted onto the toast, creating a striking visual effect.

Nutritional information

Per 5 g suggested serving size

Energy - 41 kJ Protein - 1.3 g Carbohydrate Total - 1 g Sugars - Less than 1 g Fat Total - Less than 1 g Saturated - Less than 1 g Niacin - 2500 µg (25% RDA) Thiamine - 550 µg (50% RDA) Riboflavin - 430 µg (25% RDA) Folate - 100 µg (50% RDA) Sodium - 169 mg

Per 100 g

Energy - 811 kJ Protein - 25.6 g Carbohydrate Total - 19.5 g Sugars - 1.7 g Fat Total - Less than 1 g Saturated - Less than 1 g Niacin - 50 mg Thiamine - 11 mg Riboflavin - 8.6 mg Folate - 2000 µg Sodium - 3380 mg

RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance.

Brand

Different Vegemite jars - National Museum of Australia

Vegemite's rise to popularity was helped by marketing campaigns begun in 1954, using groups of smiling, attractive healthy children singing a catchy jingle entitled "We're happy little Vegemites".

The lyrics to the Jingle are:

The two young twin girls who sang this advertising jingle were known as the "Vegemite Twins".

Australian Slang

This jingle gave rise to an Australian slang expression "happy little Vegemite" = a happy person. Since then it has also been extended, ad hoc, to various complimentary expressions utilising the same structure, such as "good little Vegemite", "clever little Vegemite".

Another set of Australian slang expressions using Vegemite refer to anal sex. Since the 1980s to "drill for Vegemite" has been used to refer to anal sex, and "Vegemite driller" has been used as a disparaging term for a male homosexual.

Popular culture

Vegemite came to the attention of many people outside the region in the lyrics of the 1982 worldwide hit song Down Under by Men At Work:

I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich

The band members have, in television interviews, denied personally liking the spread.