Today I went into corner store to satisfy my hunger cravings by lining my belly with a delicious meat pie (steak and mushroom today...mmmm....). Along with my hot, crispy breaded purchase I picked up a small jar of Marmite for a friend. While totaling my modest bill the chipper women behind the counter asked me if I didnt prefer Vegemite. Following my reply of "oh, it's not for me. I can't stand either one of them" I received a look that seemed to convey both horror and personal insult as if I had just simulaneously called her child a dirty name, trampled my filthy feet all over the New Zealand flag, and launched a Kiwi bird across the street with a swift kick (followed surely by a weak yelp from said helpless bird and national symbol). It wasn't a reaction that I had expected from my offhanded comment and for a moment I felt such a sense of guilt that I was moved to apologize or at least explain my actions before she quickly shot me a smile and said "I'm not too surprised to hear that from someone with that [read: American] accent".
Most Americans are larely unfamiliar with the term 'Marmite' (or the Australian 'Vegemite', for that matter). Unfortunately I am no longer one of them. For years I was proud to proclaim that the list of items that consistantly assault my taste buds are olives. And even with olives I feel like I'm almost to the point where they are tolerable to my tongue. Every now and then I'll chomp on a greens (the black ones are too far of a stretch as of yet) in order to build up some sort of taste tolerance. I'm pleased to say I can now not only stomach a dirty martini but actually enjoy one from time to time. But this couldn't be any farther from the case from Marmite.
Author Bill Bryson, in Notes from a Small Island, while commenting on the peculiarities of British appreciations, described Marmite as "an edible yeast extract with the visual properties of an industrial lubricant" but failed to properly comment on its often hard to stomach taste. Even the makers of Marmite acknowledge the polarizing public opinion of their product with their market slogan proclaiming that you either "love it or hate it." While it originated in the United Kingdom the New Zealanders (hereafter referred by their proudly adopted collective nickname of "Kiwis") have pridefully claimed it as their own national food. Even bachelors with poor eating habits (and not to mention regular proclivities for eating a substantial number of their meals after handing over $2.80 to the local pie vendor) with only a bottle of tomato sauce (that's the Kiwi version, and, in my not-so-humble opinion, an inadequate substite for, of ketchup for you North Americans) in their fridge will likely have fresh a jar of Marmite in the cupboard. They love the stuff. I hate it. I'll just stick to the pies.
Side note: Apparently, according to a contributer of the Marmite article on WikiPedia, if you put a dollop of Marmite on a plate then hit it with a spoon, it will steadily grow paler in color (as seen at this link).
Also, I definitely recommend clicking on the link to the official Marmite website. It's sufficiently hilarious.
Posted January 24, 2007 11:04 PM @ (GMT - 6)
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We're happy little Vegemites, as bright as bright can be.... We all enjoy our Vegemite for breakfast, lunch and tea....