The popular English and Australian spreads of marmite and vegemite are made of the same brewer’s yeast and typically used on toast or mixed with butter to slather inside sandwiches. Considering they’re essentially made from the same ingredient; one would imagine them both to taste similar. However, there are a handful of distinctive factors that make one different than the other.
Marmite
Image Credits: Culture Trip
A thick, dark brown spread which is known to be a favourite among the Brits, marmite has a slightly sweet aftertaste that works perfectly on toasts and even mixed into hot drinks. Due to its intensely salty flavour and silky smooth texture, using marmite sparingly is the best way to enjoy it. Known to be a good source for vitamin B complex, marmite is made from the by-product of brewing beer, which is basically leftover yeast that is condensed further. Marmite came into being in the 1800s when a German scientist called Justus von Liebig discovered it by chance. Statistics suggest that a whopping 25 percent of Britain’s population consume marmite over everything from sandwiches to pasta to wafer biscuits.
Vegemite
Image Credits: Encyclopedia Britannica
A thick black yeast spread from Australia, vegemite contains added flavours derived from vegetables and spices and has a slightly bitter aftertaste, unlike marmite. Great inside sandwiches, with crackers and even as pastry filling, vegemite was a product of supply shortage during the first World War, when the supply of marmite was terminated temporarily. Vegemite was also created out of the need to repurpose the yeast that was leftover after brewing beer. Created by Cyril Percy Callister, vegemite contains ingredients like onions, salt and celery extracts to give it that characteristic ‘vegetal’ flavour.