Marmite was invented in England in 1902. It’s an extract from waste yeast from beer manufacture. The first Marmite factory was set up in
Burton on Trent, which still is the center of
England’s
brewing industry.
Marmite is sold in a distinctive brown glass jar, with a yellow plastic lid. For a savory spread made almost entirely from the waste products of industrial food manufacture it is surprisingly tasty and expensive. A 500g jar will cost about £3.75 (Almost $7). It must be quite a profitable business!
It’s hard to describe the taste: Unquestionably salty, defiantly yeasty… but there is something else. According to the packaging that something else is a secret blend of herbs and spices. In most households this strong flavor is adulterated with bread-crumbs or traces of butter and margarine. This is because lazy people use the same knife for spreading butter and Marmite.
Although it had always been popular, it grew to fame during the First World War. Its nutritional properties were recognized; it was an ideal food supplement for troops. It was tasty, nutritious and can be transported easily.
I was introduced to Marmite as a student. We couldn’t afford much in the way of nice food, so buttered toast with Marmite became a standard component of our diet. Now that I am a professionally employed person I still love the stuff. One of my favorite snacks is to dip marmited toast strips into soft poached eggs.
The main rival to Marmite is Vegemite, made by Kraft foods. It’s similar in texture and appearance, but does taste different. This product is sold in a taller cylindrical jar. It seems to be more popular in other English speaking countries e.g. Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. However both Marmite and Vegemite are available everywhere – both products have millions of admirers all over the world.
I love to eat marmite, spread thinly on freshly home-baked bread.