[HN Gopher] South Africa is running out of Marmite
___________________________________________________________________
South Africa is running out of Marmite
Author : helsinkiandrew
Score : 112 points
Date : 2022-04-18 10:41 UTC (2 days ago)
(HTM) web link (www.economist.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (www.economist.com)
| giovanni_m1 wrote:
| I'm a Namibian (neighboring SA), and this is bad news for me, I
| _love_ the stuff! My kids too.
|
| (Tip if you haven't tasted yet, try it on toast with a mild
| cheddar - delicious).
| mcphage wrote:
| Random question, but why does this article not list the author?
| fbanon wrote:
| Marmite is a famously controversial topic. They're probably
| protecting the author from harrassment.
| SideburnsOfDoom wrote:
| That's just how The Economist rolls.
|
| https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2013/09/04/...
|
| At best they have pseudonyms
|
| https://www.economist.com/letters-to-the-editor-the-inbox/20...
| boomboomsubban wrote:
| It's the Economist's schtick. They claim it reflects the voice
| of the collective that worked on it. Critics say it's to make
| it seem more objective then opinionated, or hide inexperienced
| writers.
| lisper wrote:
| Let's not forget that the marmite shortage is not SA's biggest
| worry just now.
|
| https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2022/04/14/flood-sout...
| andylynch wrote:
| As a New Zealander who experienced Marmageddon after the
| Christchurch earthquakes I offer our support and Marmite even if
| our variety differs
| [deleted]
| noneeeed wrote:
| Just a tip for anyone thinking of trying marmite for the first
| time, it's strong stuff you are supposed to spread it on thinly,
| not dollop it on like jam.
|
| Hot toast, a thin spread of real butter that melts into the
| toast, then a thin spread of marmite.
| bigbluedots wrote:
| Yes, but make sure you use Vegemite instead because it is
| better.
| noneeeed wrote:
| I love how one of my highest upvoted HN comments is about how
| to eat Marmite as a beginner... I'm not sure what this says
| about me :)
| twic wrote:
| IMHO, apply the marmite first. It's extremely viscous, so much
| easier to apply to unbuttered toast, and while the toast is
| hotter to soften it. Plus, you want the marmite underneath a
| layer of something else, so that it's not the first thing that
| makes contact with your mouth when you bite. You want the
| flavour to develop as you chew.
|
| Also, marmite works really well with peanut butter instead of
| butter.
| noneeeed wrote:
| Well that's tomorrows breakfast sorted :)
|
| I know someone who puts a touch of salt on his peanut butter,
| so I can definitely see marmite working with it.
| smackeyacky wrote:
| Vegemite and Bega crunchy peanut butter is what you want.
| Thick, hot toast. Do the PB first so it melts.
|
| My wife is always confused by this, she still thinks they
| should be consumed separately.
| sWW26 wrote:
| A slice of toast with peanut butter and Marmite has been my
| standard breakfast for the last few years.
| ManuelKiessling wrote:
| My favorite marmite recipe is where you bake the toast
| yourself, then toast it, use a good knife of fresh unsalted
| butter, apply it on the still-warm toast, let it melt in, then
| take the marmite, throw it away, and use cherry jam instead.
| idleproc wrote:
| My Grandad taught me how to make Marmite sandwiches.
|
| Spread butter on one slice of bread until you can no longer see
| the bread underneath.
|
| Spread Marmite on the other slice of bread until you can no
| longer see the bread underneath.
|
| Combine. Enjoy.
| skibz wrote:
| Add some slices of mature cheddar, too!
| raffraffraff wrote:
| Safety tip: take a generous knife of butter and a tiny amount
| of Marmite and mix them together first (on a plate or in a tea
| cup). You should use enough Marmite to tint the butter. Spread
| that on your toast. Guaranteed to avoid having "pure" Marmite
| touch your tongue. When that melts into the toast it's perfect.
| If you do it in two layers there's a risk of the butter melting
| before you spread the Marmite, making it impossible to spread
| it evenly.
| 123pie123 wrote:
| this is how I used to have marmite on toast
| verve_rat wrote:
| Then make a cup of strong builders tea (tea with milk and
| sugar) fold the toast in half and quickly dunk it in the tea.
|
| Mellows the bite of Marmite and has an interesting new flavour.
| noneeeed wrote:
| Well that's something I'd never have thought of doing, and
| now really want to try
| kderbyma wrote:
| until you eat it everyday ...then you are licking the knife
| clean
| BurningFrog wrote:
| Yeah, it's a spice, much like mustard.
|
| Eating a spoonful is painful and completely missing the point
| of each.
| vr46 wrote:
| When I first started going out with my non-Uk-partner, and they
| were looking after me during some illness or other, I asked for
| some Marmite on toast. They had not heard of it and curious,
| licked the knife afterwards, and was not impressed with the
| sharp taste. But about twenty minutes later, found themselves
| licking their lips, going, hmm - and made themselves some
| Marmite on buttered toast, where its flavour really shines.
| Total Marmite addict now.
| zumu wrote:
| It also helps if you're hungover. Your body will welcome the
| saltiness.
| anonymous_sorry wrote:
| I maintain that "you either love it or hate it" is the most
| ingeniously manipulative advertising slogan of all time.
|
| It catches you off-guard. "Why are they admitting that many
| people hate their product?" While you're distracted by that, the
| real payload is dropped into your subconscious: "I don't hate
| Marmite - therefore I must love it". And the meme-like quality
| means that the false dichotomy is socially reinforced once in a
| while for good measure.
|
| Marmite certainly has a distinctive taste, and many don't like
| it. But I doubt marmite preferences are really bimodal. When
| asked if I love or hate Marmite, I tend to say something like:
| "It's OK - Nice-ish". I have received reactions ranging from
| dumbfounded confusion to outright aggression.
|
| Wake up sheeple!
| chownie wrote:
| The only two scents which make me salivate are vinegar and
| marmite, some of us really genuinely do love it!
| nickkell wrote:
| The sound of a bell ringing is enough to get me salivating.
| IntrepidWorm wrote:
| The product itself is an ingenious remarketing of a waste
| product from the beer industry.
| javajosh wrote:
| My journey with Marmite began at a meditation retreat in NZ.
| The first time I tried it, it was overwhelmingly salty and the
| smell reminded me of those huge vitamin pills they used to sell
| when I was a kid (and maybe still do). I wanted to observe my
| reaction, so I tried it again, and again. By about day 3 I
| started to enjoy it. The way I describe the flavor is that it's
| so bad, it wraps around and becomes good again. Like an edible
| version of "The Room".
| MaxfordAndSons wrote:
| Like how sticking your tongue to a frozen piece of metal
| causes a burning sensation.
| cultofmetatron wrote:
| ist one of those things that tastes better the more you try
| it. my theory is the body reorients its appraisal after the
| fact when it realizes the food is a powerhouse of B vitamins
| and magnesium.
| notjustanymike wrote:
| The Dutch, in their infinite pursuit of diabetes, love to spread
| Stroop on their sandwiches. Stroop is a thick syrup with a very
| similar consistency to Marmite. A fond childhood memory of mine
| is watching my Dutch friend, who had never experienced Marmite
| make a sandwich with it thinking it was Stroop. Imagine taking a
| bite of a thick spread of Marmite all at once...
|
| Good times. We don't talk any more.
| rpastuszak wrote:
| On the other hand stroop crumpets sound quite tasty
| klyrs wrote:
| The Aussies I went camping with were not ready for Vegemite
| s'mores. I've had worse; the looks on their faces made it all
| worthwhile.
| sgt wrote:
| That's how I tried marmite for the first time as well. I was
| told by my friends that you need to put on a thick thick layer.
| They found it hilarious, of course.
| kemiller wrote:
| Oh is that where Stroopwafels come from?
| notjustanymike wrote:
| Sorta. Stroop literally means "syrup".
| philjohn wrote:
| Ahhhh, fond memories of holidays in The Netherlands - stroop on
| pancakes.
|
| And stroopwaffels ...
| cfontes wrote:
| In NZ and AUS it's pretty common to see that happening on
| Hostels, because there is always at least one leftover jar of
| Vegemite in the pantry (Aus version of this) and the product
| looks somewhat like an off brand Nutella and doesn't smell as
| bad as it tastes...
|
| I saw it happen numerous times while living there it has indeed
| hilarious specially because I did it too :D
| baxtr wrote:
| Can someone please explain to people outside of UK/SA/AU what the
| heck this stuff is?
| chimprich wrote:
| A salty black paste made from yeast extract. Its taste is
| famously polarising.
|
| It is typically spread on bread products such as toast or
| crumpets. It's actually quite healthy, as it's packed with B
| vitamins, and probably replaces a spread much higher in
| calories.
| boomboomsubban wrote:
| From someone who's never had it, I imagine the taste is
| similar to some heavy stout beers, with more salt. Would that
| be accurate?
| fbanon wrote:
| It only has a hint of beer taste to it. I would say it's
| more like a thicker soy sauce with hints of natto
| (fermented soybeans).
| ripe wrote:
| I once described it as "like blue cheese, minus the
| cheese."
|
| An American who first tasted vegemite at age 40---and loved
| it! If you've never tasted it, you owe it to yourself to
| try it once.
| hinkley wrote:
| If you want a black substance high in minerals to add to your
| food, I highly recommend molasses.
|
| Molasses are good for preventing anemia in meat poor diets
| (such as peasants), which is likely why it was historically
| common in recipes. Once upon a time there was a similar
| substance from sugar beets but that has largely fallen out of
| use.
| hansthehorse wrote:
| Try Sorghum. I get the Muddy Pond brand on Amazon. They are
| a family run operation.
| madeofpalk wrote:
| I'm sure it itself could be healthy, but the mountain of
| butter it's usually paired with negates all those benefits.
| xutopia wrote:
| Yeast extract is packed with umami. It compares in taste to
| that amazing reaction that heat has on vegetables or meat when
| it browns. The stuff is also quite salty packing a generous
| amount of flavour in such a small spread.
| thom wrote:
| Like a salty, yeasty version of molasses. You're supposed to
| either love or hate it but that's largely marketing. Goes great
| by itself on toast, makes a wonderful bagel with cheese, and
| can add depth of flavour where some saltiness is needed in
| recipes.
| fbanon wrote:
| Basically concentrated yeast. It has a uniquely pungent taste.
| mrob wrote:
| It's a kind of salted yeast extract. Wikipedia's "yeast
| extract" article[0] isn't bad, but it's missing two important
| points:
|
| 1. Yeast is a living organism that multiplies during beer
| fermentation. Commercial brewers wash and reuse some of it, but
| even so they always end up with excess. 2. Breaking down the
| protein into amino acids dramatically increases the umami
| taste.
|
| So yeast extract is a way to turn a waste product into
| something delicious.
|
| [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yeast_extract
| hinkley wrote:
| Things may have changed since they merged, but New Belgium
| Ale ran a second fermentation to create methane from the
| spent grains and dregs, then composted what was left. The
| methane from the second pass was sufficient to run some of
| their boilers, and the compost was consumed by the
| landscapers.
|
| For anyone who doesn't know the beer or winemaking process,
| I'll put a rough overview here. It's an interesting hobby,
| but one I didn't stick with. My homes have had a lot of
| things but only occasionally have I had a place to make
| beer/wine/mead and a thermally stable place to store it (you
| get mouthwash if you don't), and most of those involved
| narrow steep stairways I didn't want to haul 25kg bottles up
| and down. I don't think I would try again but I might help a
| friend if they ever wanted to.
|
| You get two or three waste streams from brewing beer, not
| counting any bad batches/ingredients.
|
| For beer, you sprout the grain in water to convert the
| starches to sugars, for everything, you then boil the sugary
| soup to release the sugars and minerals into the water and
| sterilize any wild yeast and bacteria. Sometime around when
| the yeast is added back in, the water is drained off and any
| solids are discarded. During the initial fermentation there
| are still suspended solids that will settle out, first due to
| lack of agitation, then flocculated by yeast grabbing onto
| some of what remains, but over time more and more of the
| dregs will be yeasts that have aged out or poisoned
| themselves with alcohol. For commercial processes, where
| space is at a premium, a food safe flocculant (something akin
| to chalk or clay IIRC) may be added to the end and or a
| mechanical filtering stage to get what's left. But I think in
| these situations the tank may be agitated to speed up the
| yeast metabolism, trading time for complexity.
|
| Spent grains or fruit after the boil, then one or more passes
| of sediment that eventually become mostly dead yeast.
| Brewer's yeast is these later stages and it contains
| everything a microbe needs to live except sugars and oxygen.
| flipchart wrote:
| https://archive.ph/BBklb
| at_a_remove wrote:
| I prefer Bovril, myself. So tasty.
| acadapter wrote:
| Thanks for the reminder - I just realized I'm out of Marmite as
| well.
| neilwilson wrote:
| I'd happily clear the shelves in the UK and stick the damn stuff
| on the first boat to SA.
|
| Bovril on toast is the food of kings. Why settle for anything
| less?
| FredPret wrote:
| Hint for the uninitiated: skip the bread, and spread marmite
| right on a slab of cheddar. It's just amazing that way.
| deepspace wrote:
| Ooh, yes, but a slab of Gouda also works in a pinch.
| madeofpalk wrote:
| Moving from Australia to UK, i was amused (and disgusted) by the
| difference between Marmite in both the countries.
|
| In Australia, Marmite has the same non-runny consistency as
| Vegemite, and tastes roughly the same but just more mild. Coming
| to the UK I was really weirded out by the runny, gloopy, tar-like
| consistency of Marmite. The taste is also quite different.
| mcv wrote:
| I wanted to ask what the difference between Marmite and
| Vegemite was, but apparently the difference between Marmites of
| different countries is larger than the difference between
| Marmite and Vegemite?
| VyseofArcadia wrote:
| As an uncultured American who just likes buying from import
| shops:
|
| Similar flavor, but Vegemite is milder. UK Marmite has the
| consistency of molasses, perhaps a bit thicker. Vegemite has
| the consistency of (homogenized, not natural) peanut butter,
| and is consequently easier to spread.
| silisili wrote:
| Also uncultured American, and agreed 100%.
|
| I actually love vegemite in very small quantities, like
| really thin and not even fully covering toast.
|
| Marmite is a mess and the consistency/flavor I find rather
| offputting.
| rjsw wrote:
| UK Marmite wasn't runny when I was a child.
| madeofpalk wrote:
| I've only seen UK Marmite a few times, and I would describe
| it as having a tar-like consistency, more viscous than honey,
| but would still 'pour' off a knife. Vegemite is more 'solid'
| (but still spreadable), like peanut butter or non-melted
| butter.
| rand49an wrote:
| Probably depends on the temperature it's stored at. It's
| definitely runnier on warmer days.
| vr46 wrote:
| There's two types of UK Marmite, the standard thick
| spreadable version and the squeezable version.
| MalarkZA wrote:
| South African here, our Marmite is more liquid than paste, so
| probably in line with UK Marmite.
| cannam wrote:
| The pot pictured in the article has similar branding to the UK
| product - so South Africa is UK-aligned on this rather than
| Aus/NZ-aligned (or independent)?
|
| Being from the UK I'm fondest of the home version, and
| especially for its unhelpfully runny texture. Vegemite is
| pretty nice but the stuff called Marmite that I met in New
| Zealand, which I guess would be the same as your Australian
| one, is a bit weak next to either of the others.
| globular-toast wrote:
| The SA branding looks almost identical to the UK branding.
| But the product is subtly different. The UK has a consistency
| and appearance of thick black treacle (molasses). The SA one
| is less runny with a more satin appearance. They taste pretty
| much the same, though.
| rgoulter wrote:
| I was raised on NZ marmite and love the stuff.
|
| However, it's easier to find the UK stuff worldwide. I only
| recently tried the UK stuff. I agree that the NZ one is much
| weaker in comparison.
| SideburnsOfDoom wrote:
| > South Africa is UK-aligned on this rather than Aus/NZ-
| aligned (or independent)?
|
| SA is more-or-less UK aligned in Marmite, and in many other
| things.
|
| The issue is that in Aus/NZ, the other product Vegemite is
| even more popular, and is IMHO milder and sweeter. Vegemite
| is not that well known in SA.
| joshvm wrote:
| Kiwi Marmite is a bit more sugary than UK Marmite from what I
| remember. It's not bad, but it doesn't quite scratch the
| itch. We had all three variants in Antarctica, having
| deployed via New Zealand and with a couple of Brits and an
| Aussie on station. There was a taste-off for the Americans
| (99% of the station population) and I think the Kiwi Marmite
| won, much to my disappointment. I did convert at least one
| person to British Marmite.
|
| On a recent trip back home, I was very happy to find that
| Marmite XO still exists and is sold in my parents' local
| Tesco.
| cannam wrote:
| What an excellent test case. Perhaps the Kiwi Marmite has a
| suitable function as "beginner's Marmite".
| darrenf wrote:
| I was and remain delighted that Marmite XO went from
| limited run to regularly available.
| efrecon wrote:
| Antarctica? Care to develop?
| joshvm wrote:
| I worked at Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station for a year,
| looking after IceCube (big neutrino observatory). It's a
| US base, but science staff tend to be more multi-national
| as universities have much more freedom on who they can
| hire. One of our summer area managers (who was also
| British) brought a huge tub of UK Marmite which lasted
| most of the year, though it dried out pretty badly and
| would require melting in the microwave.
| Synaesthesia wrote:
| So basically during lockdown when we banned alcohol in SA there
| was no beer brewed, so no brewer's yeast so no marmite. But it
| should be coming back in stock soon.
|
| https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-03-04-missing-m...
| taneq wrote:
| Why did they ban alcohol? In Australia during lockdowns our
| booze supply was considered an essential service. :S
| Synaesthesia wrote:
| Our hospitals can be under tremendous strain from alcohol
| related injuries so it was basically a prudent move to free
| up resources.
| hemreldop wrote:
| To be honest, a lot of Africa would be orders of magnitude
| better with a booze ban but it's too late to put that genie
| back in the bottle.
| s3233323 wrote:
| mousetree wrote:
| They also banned selling cigarettes
| zo1 wrote:
| They banned T-shirts at some point, too.
|
| https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/397591/south-
| africa...
|
| Pre-made warm food too, if I remember correctly. Absolute
| insanity. Someone sitting behind a desk tweeking nobs and
| hoping to stop Covid by banning benign things.
| bell-cot wrote:
| > ...South Africa banned alcohol sales in an attempt to free
| up beds in hospitals that would otherwise be filled with
| tipsy drivers or drunken brawlers.
| lelanthran wrote:
| > Why did they ban alcohol? In Australia during lockdowns our
| booze supply was considered an essential service. :S
|
| The ANC banned cigs and booze. It was later found out that
| their members were making money hand-over-fist in the
| underground markets for cigs. Maybe booze too.
|
| Honestly, this government that is repeatedly voted in by the
| masses keeps screwing the masses that votes them in, but they
| won't ever be voted out because SA voters are very
| tribalistic and unquestioning loyal to the ANC.
| smokey_circles wrote:
| The cigarette part was pure profit, no argument there.
|
| But we banned alcohol 3 times, and 3 times the hospital's
| casualty admission rate plummeted.
|
| We have a problem with alcohol and we should be talking
| about it
| mad_tortoise wrote:
| This is half-wrong. You are right about cigs, but not
| booze. Booze is the single biggest cause of trauma
| admissions in all hospitals in SA. Banning booze was highly
| effective in creating a significant drop in those ER
| admissions, allowing for more resources to be put towards
| covid.
|
| The cig ban was non-sensical though, and yes a certain
| minister is said to have profited greatly off them.
| buyx wrote:
| _they won't ever be voted out_
|
| South African voters have voted opposition parties into
| power in multiple municipalities. Trends indicate that the
| ANC is losing its grip, and one party dominance will be
| replaced ny coalitions in the next few election cycles.
|
| _The ANC banned cigs and booze. It was later found out
| that their members were making money hand-over-fist in the
| underground markets for cigs. Maybe booze too._
|
| It sounds plausible that they were making money off illegal
| cigarettes: but do you have a source for that?
|
| As for the booze ban, it was to keep hospital beds free for
| Covid patients: South Africans have a very unhealthy
| relationship with alcohol.
| wesleywt wrote:
| The best thing to happen to South Africa was that booze
| ban. This is the primary cause of assaults and murders in
| this country.
| Synaesthesia wrote:
| Joke: "Anyone know what this black stuff on my toast is?"
|
| "Ma might"
| daemoncoder wrote:
| But Pa won't.
| mkl wrote:
| "Pa will" was Vegemite's version of that pun with its
| original name "Parwill":
| https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/650489/vegemites-
| history...
| jbump wrote:
| Amazon is my hookup for the stuff in the US. This commercial is
| hilarious. Once, in my younger years, I too neglected a jar and
| man... that lid was stuck fast.
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79-sFaeLVJg
| coldpie wrote:
| I don't buy from Amazon anymore, and sadly I haven't found a
| good source for Marmite yet. Amazon must be losing money on the
| international shipping, ordering from places that actually
| charge shipping comes out to like $30/500g jar, too much for me
| :(
| Lio wrote:
| This discussion of smuggling Marmite into Canada is, I think,
| proof that Bill Nighy could be the greatest living Englishman:
|
| _" I also like vegemite... I don't shout about it"_
|
| https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iqAB6yHAodQ
| jp0d wrote:
| South Africans need to be introduced to Vegemite!
| ResNet wrote:
| Worth a try whilst you still can, but prepare for a taste unlike
| anything you've had before (I mean that seriously! It's that
| weird.)
|
| I've eaten this stuff on toast from an early age and love it. It
| really is a thing people either love or hate, I don't know anyone
| that grew to enjoy it over time.
| las_balas_tres wrote:
| Thank God I only like Bovril
| tertius wrote:
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came_...
|
| Be careful... Help you marmite starved compatriots, you're
| next.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| Polite advice: I'd suggest that only those from the UK, South
| Africa, New Zealand and Australia and other outposts where black
| yeast extracts are consumed comment on this story.
|
| Those in the US and elsewhere can watch on in amusement.
|
| _Warning: Australians and other Vegemite consumers please
| refrain from denigrating lovers of Marmite._
|
| :-)
| wincy wrote:
| Hah I'm American and bought Marmite because Kenji Lopez Alt of
| Serious Eats fame suggested it as a great way to add Umami
| flavoring to a dish.
|
| I mostly add it to other dishes, such as an ingredient in pot
| roast, but I did try it a thin layer on toast with some butter
| and I like it! Very intense but interesting flavor. My kids and
| wife go "yuuuck!" When they see the jar, though.
| rusanu wrote:
| Here is an alternative read for some of us:
| https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20220417-ajvar-the-vegan-...
| dghughes wrote:
| I don't think it ever caught on in Canada. I've don't recall
| ever hearing of anyone talking about Marmite. Neither
| grandparents or any ancestor stories, no talk of it.
| lebuffon wrote:
| Marmite is available in many grocery stores in here but
| commonly in the international foods aisle. My local store
| (rural Ontario) put in the baking section with the yeast. LOL
| achr2 wrote:
| While certainly not a customary staple, it is commonly
| available here (and delicious). Marmite and PB on toast, yum.
| stevespang wrote:
| hanselot wrote:
| Bovril is vastly superior.
| executesorder66 wrote:
| I agree, but Bovril is not made from yeast extract like
| Marmite is. So not really the same kind of product.
| detritus wrote:
| Actually, it's over a quarter yeast extract.
|
| To be honest, having just checked, I think that's less than
| it was a while back, as I'm sure I recall being
| disappointed upon seeing the ingredients, and putting a jar
| back on the shelf after picking it up on a whim a while
| ago.
|
| I just stick to my stock pots in hot water... .
| tertius wrote:
| Yes, a clearly superior product.
| twic wrote:
| Did anyone else see that apparently Marmite isn't even the best
| marmite? Somehow ze Germans have improved on it.
|
| https://www.which.co.uk/reviews/food-and-drink/article/marmi...
| philliphaydon wrote:
| They include Vegemite but don't include nz marmite? :(
|
| Nz marmite is the beez kneez!
| Matsta wrote:
| Gotta agree. Don't like how UK marmite has a sweet taste to
| it.
| TheCondor wrote:
| Colorado based lover of marmite here. Vegemite is off, maybe
| tangy enough. Anyhow, I was looking in to this a while back
| and there are many competitors and some people lump "beef
| spreads" in with them. Bovrite is one, Bovril is another that
| is illegal in the US (not sure if it's illegal dangerous or
| illegal like fireworks) Promite, MightyMite, AussieMite,
| OzMite are some of the popular ones and there seem to be
| "organic" kind of more artisanal *mites in parts of the
| world.
|
| The illegality of Bovril spooked me some and so I haven't
| forked out the cash to do the grand taste test challenge as I
| am happy with marmite and actually able to procure it; it'd
| be terrible to find a better one that is unobtainable.
| Hearing about these others makes me think I should do it
| though.
| tertius wrote:
| Think of it this way, it's so good it's illegal.
| 123pie123 wrote:
| >Bovril is another that is illegal in the US
|
| It used to be, due to the BSE scare - legal now:
| https://newsstar.club/importing-bovril-to-the-usa-from-a-
| bri...
| phatfish wrote:
| This rang some major alarm bells.
|
| "Marmite got a decent score overall, but tasters weren't
| bowled over by it, with more than half finding it too strong
| in flavour and too thick. Some also found it more difficult
| to spread compared with the own-label options."
|
| I expect the Aldi and other alternatives are watered-down
| fake Marmite for woke wimps who want yeast extract spreads to
| be more "inclusive". This country is toast.
| nightfly wrote:
| Connecting marmite to "wokeness" is a new one...
| progre wrote:
| Broad inclussion makes a country stronger, not weaker.
|
| Germany has tried the "pure" route once before, it did not
| end well
| bobthechef wrote:
| krageon wrote:
| > Germany has tried the "pure" route once before, it did
| not end well
|
| What are you talking about? It went great, and it ended
| with them dominating Europe financially and industrially.
| Ethically it was a disaster of course, but practically
| observing the aftereffects you have to be kind of
| impressed. Not many countries get absolutely demolished
| and then manage to turn that into a win somehow.
|
| Edit: I'm not fond of the Nazis, this is more of an
| observation.
| progre wrote:
| Let's compare Germany with a made up family who we shall
| call ... Schmidt. Fritz Schmidt, the father, is doing
| more than good, he is one of the best engineers in the
| world, he is making good money. His house is smaller than
| he would like but he keeps it tidy and he is generally
| well respected. His two kids goes to the best schools.
|
| One day something goes wrong with his brain and he goes
| on a murder spree.
|
| Fritz goes to prison, his house is sold off to pay the
| victims families and his children are sent to separate
| orphanages.
|
| Decades later one kid, Hans, have made it despite being
| reminded of his fathers crimes every day. His orphanage
| helped him with a good education and a very generous loan
| so he could start his own factory.
|
| The other kid, Helmut, got a shit education and no loan
| and is hungry every day. Almost every month he has to beg
| Hans for money to pay the rent.
|
| What a great outcome for the Schmidt family.
| Digit-Al wrote:
| Please don't "Godwin[1]" the conversation.
|
| [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Godwin%27s_law
| progre wrote:
| Sorry, but the germans started it.
| overboard2 wrote:
| Germany's "pure" route did not end well because they
| attacked others for being pure. Just because a culture
| has oddities which do not fit with a wider culture, it
| doesn't mean that the former should be reduced.
| timbaboon wrote:
| South African here and I have nothing polite to say about
| Marmite ;)
| wesleywt wrote:
| South African here. Wash you mouth out with soap then eat
| some tasty Marmite with margarine on toast.
| the_other wrote:
| Margarine doesn't have enough salt for this dish. You need
| butter.
| CoastalCoder wrote:
| Does the soap hide the taste of the Marmite? Or is it the
| other way around?
| ksksksksksawewe wrote:
| The joke, such as it was, is based on the pun on the
| phrase "wash your mouth out with soap".
|
| This is usually a punishment for children who have
| uttered taboo or blasephous words (the idea being that
| you said a _dirty_ word and your mouth needs cleaning).
|
| The other side being in reference to needing to
| litterally clean one's (dirty) mouth so that the taste of
| marmite can be savoured and enjoyed.
|
| Condsider this JOKE EXPLAINED!!
| philjohn wrote:
| This is the problem with the "marmite could lead to peace
| in the middle east" theory (high zinc content).
|
| You would then have vicious infighting between those who
| love, and those who hate marmite.
|
| Oddly, can't stand marmite usually, however, twiglets are
| ridiculously tasty.
| golergka wrote:
| > marmite could lead to peace in the middle east
|
| Right after we finally decide who has the best hummus.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| _"...however, twiglets are ridiculously tasty "_
|
| Love 'em too (but don't often buy them as I've
| insufficient self-control to leave a packet half
| uneaten)! ;-)
| andybak wrote:
| > Oddly, can't stand marmite usually, however, twiglets
| are ridiculously tasty.
|
| I'm entirely the other way round. Twiglets are a
| punishment meted out by an insane diety for consuming too
| many snacks in a former life.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| Ha! see, like Marmite and Vegemite, they cause more
| polarization among consumers than US Republican/Democrat
| politics do among voters.
| mousetree wrote:
| South African here and I agree.
| lelanthran wrote:
| Also South African, also agree.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| See comment above.
| ycombinete wrote:
| Bovril is obviously superior.
| Loughla wrote:
| My British roommate in college always talked about Bovril,
| but with his accent, it sounded exactly like Bog Roll. It
| still makes me chuckle to think about.
| tertius wrote:
| I cannot get this in the U.S. thus I have to wince while
| consuming marmite.
|
| But you are 101% correct.
| hansthehorse wrote:
| Amazon has it but you're gonna pay for it.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| Uh, not if you're a Vegemite eater!
| hilbert42 wrote:
| So what's all the fuss about then? Surely someone there eats
| (and presumably likes) it.
|
| _My departed mother and aunts loved the stuff but I 'll eat
| it out of desperation/under sufferance when Vegemite isn't
| available. Where both products are available in a bousehold
| there's never-ending wars over which is best. That's almost
| inevitable. :-)_
| adnmcq999 wrote:
| I'm American and I ate a pretty good amount when I lived in
| the UK bc it's high in B vitamins.
|
| I made this "sandwich" with a crumpet, polish mayo
| (winiary), marmite and sometimes a scotch egg and/or
| sauerkraut. It was disgusting, I mostly created it b/c it
| was cheap, but it was a staple of mine and a very British
| one at that (aside from the kraut). The polish mayo is an
| import but I'd still say very london at this point, I got
| it from sainsburys, but could just as well have picked it
| up from any number of polish stores. Anyway, marmite's
| alright.
| Lio wrote:
| This comment alone is probably enough to get you ongoing
| "indefinite leave to remain" and work in the UK.
| vorpalhex wrote:
| Just take the "sandwich" with you to immigration..
| fastest visa paperwork in the history of formal
| countries.
| pseudotrash wrote:
| Most British thing ever said and it's not by a Brit
| hilbert42 wrote:
| ...But you had to dilute it with extras, that's cheating!
|
| True 'native' eaters like me spoon it straight from the
| jar! No problems.... ;-)
|
| _Edit: shame there 's no image posting here or I'd
| demonstrate (squirm factor)._
| NeoTar wrote:
| I think Polish shops are pretty common across the UK
| these days - in Huntingdon (pop. 23k, 1 h north of
| London) there are at least two, and you can pick it up in
| the big supermarket (Tesco).
|
| I think it has gone down a bit from the peak around 2016,
| but Poland became something like the third or fourth most
| common place of birth in the UK (after the UK, India and
| Pakistan I think) with roughly one million Polish
| immigrants.
|
| [I have a Polish boyfriend living in the UK, so know too
| much about this ;-) ]
| skocznymroczny wrote:
| winiary is owned by Nestle, so it's hardly polish mayo
| SuoDuanDao wrote:
| It's an extremely salty, umami taste. Both flavours most
| people like, but too much of a good thing for the
| unprepared palatte.
|
| I like a thin layer of X-mite between a piece of toast and
| a fried egg. I find eggs need a lot of salt, so X-mite is a
| good combination.
| animal531 wrote:
| Growing up my brother loved the stuff, but personally I could
| never figure out why...it really is an acquired taste.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| Especially so if one's not introduced to it early - not
| long after weaning.
| galangalalgol wrote:
| I tried both as an adult and like both on occasion. I
| cook with them more often than I use them as a spread
| though. Vegemite seems to have more and different
| vegetable flavors noticable. Marmite seems a little
| sweeter, like a savory nutella or hagelslag (sp?). I'll
| put either on toast with butter, but I like them a lot
| better in soups or stews. With thai fish sauce, for when
| you have a fever for more umame.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| Good summary, you're unusual (and have good taste). :-)
| klik99 wrote:
| Marmite vs Vegemite is a niche holy war of emacs vs vi levels -
| literally noone outside cares. Being in Shanghai with a bunch
| of UK and Aussie expats it came up a lot.
|
| I'm Marmite/Emacs myself.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| Exactly, and you're dead right only the protagonists care.
| BTW, the War's been running nearly a century,
| Tevias wrote:
| I am now imagining this on dating platforms:
| Male/white/he,his/Marmite/Vi
| hemreldop wrote:
| Already said male, no pronouns needed
| wodenokoto wrote:
| Is miso paste basically soybased marmite or are there any
| inherent differences?
| twic wrote:
| Whilst they are very different, miso paste is probably the
| closest thing to marmite that people in normal countries will
| encounter.
|
| I believe miso paste is made by mixing cooked, mashed, soy
| beans with a culture of koji (_Aspergillus sojae_), and a
| certain amount of rice, used to grow the koji, and letting it
| ferment.
|
| Marmite is made by mixing malted barley with yeast
| (_Saccharomyces cerevisiae_) and a lot of water, straining
| it, letting it ferment, skimming off the yeasty froth that
| forms on top (you can discard the liquid, although i think
| people have found other uses for it), washing the froth to
| extract the yeast, adding salt to induce autolysis, filtering
| out the solid bits of dead yeast, boiling it down, and adding
| some seasonings.
|
| So although they are both made by fermenting something, the
| process is quite different. Miso is mostly soy bean, modified
| by the fungus, whereas marmite is mostly fungus, and is much
| more processed and concentrated.
|
| Instructions:
|
| https://msmarmitelover.com/2011/04/how-to-make-your-own-
| marm...
| detritus wrote:
| Not sure about Miso and Marmite being similar - I'm in the
| 'Hate Marmite' camp, but I have to stop myself spooning too
| much dark miso paste direct from the jar when I'm using it
| in cooking (and boy, do I try to use it in everything!).
| netizen-936824 wrote:
| Normal countries?
| dfxm12 wrote:
| Do you happen to know the difference between marmite and
| vegemite?
| hilbert42 wrote:
| Yes, but its hard to expalin unless you've tasted both.
|
| Here are brief Wiki extracts:
|
| _" Marmite is a brand of savoury food spread from the
| United Kingdom, based on yeast extract invented by German
| scientist Justus von Liebig. It is made from by-products
| of beer brewing (see Lees (fermentation)) and is
| currently produced by British company Unilever.
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite ..."
|
| "Vegemite is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread
| made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various
| vegetable and spice additives. It was developed by Cyril
| Callister in Melbourne, Victoria in 1922. ..."
|
| A spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker
| biscuits as well as a filling for pastries, Vegemite is
| similar to British Marmite, New Zealand Marmite,
| Australian Promite, MightyMite, AussieMite, OzEmite,
| German Vitam-R, and Swiss Cenovis.
| https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite."_
|
| Special note to Americans: Vegemite is owned by Kraft, a
| US multinational. So you're to blame for foisting it on
| the world!
| classichasclass wrote:
| Not anymore. Bega bought Vegemite from Mondelez, so it's
| Aussie through and through again.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| OK, right. Thanks. So the label on my jar is out of date.
|
| That's one for books, but as far as I recall Kraft was
| there from the outset in the 1920s (so it was really
| always US-owned until recently).
|
| _Edit: just checked the low-salt version (both are used
| here--it 's the smaller jar) and the label is different.
| Never noticed that until now._
| wonderwonder wrote:
| Reading those processes, got to wonder how someone first
| ran across these foods. Seems like an odd direction to go
| when looking for a new flavor. With that said I have never
| really delved into food creation so maybe I am completely
| wrong.
| jahewson wrote:
| It's a byproduct of brewing, instead of throwing it away
| someone figured out how to make it into a food.
| ncmncm wrote:
| "... into something people could be persuaded to consider
| food."
| liminvorous wrote:
| Marmite was invented fairly recently (late 19th/early
| 20th century), apparently by a german scientist who was
| studying food chemistry and nutrition. (In case you
| missed the joke, the liquid the parent suggests you can
| discard is beer).
|
| Miso I know less about but my wild guess would be it's
| some sort of by product of trying to preserve food.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| FYI: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite
| supertofu wrote:
| I'm an American from California, so there was always miso
| paste at the grocery store. I put it on buttered toast. I
| suppose this is how Commonwealthers use marmite/vegemite.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| Right!
| denton-scratch wrote:
| Miso paste is made from fermented soybeans and often used to
| make soup; marmite is made from yeast extract, and usually
| spread on toast.
|
| They're both salty and brown. Otherwise they have little in
| common.
| cannam wrote:
| I just experimented with putting a thin layer of shiro miso
| on my buttered toast.
|
| It didn't quite work for me. Miso flavour turns out to be
| very compatible with toast but my test miso didn't have
| enough tang to cut through properly, so the impression it
| left was dominated by salt. Marmite and relatives are salty
| as well, but they have more bite in the flavour.
| marssaxman wrote:
| I like a smear of miso paste inside a grilled cheese
| sandwich.
| pseudotrash wrote:
| Try freshly chopped celery, or carrot sticks and stick it
| into some fresh miso as if it were ketchup. Beautiful...
| L_Rahman wrote:
| You might find that aka miso or doenjang have a flavor
| profile closer to what you're looking for.
| madeofpalk wrote:
| They do have a bit of a similar flavor profile - intensely
| savory 'umami' type flavor. Marmite/Vegemite is a a lot
| stronger and saltier though, and does have its own unique
| flavor.
| mef wrote:
| Miso isn't similar, but something that _is_ is a spread
| called Gohan Desuyo.
|
| It's made from seaweed and soy sauce but I've found it to be
| very similar to marmite
|
| https://japanesetaste.com/products/momoya-gohandesuyo-
| nori-s...
| Lio wrote:
| ...and for those in New Zealand, this is not what you guys call
| "Marmite". I have no idea what's up with that but it's wrong.
| :P
|
| Real Marmite should not be sweet. Ever. That's just
| ...wrong[1].
|
| I once stayed a mate's parents in New Zealand and luckily they
| had a jar of the good stuff for me, sold there as "My Mate".
|
| I think down to some kind of pre-war licensing shenanigans.
|
| 1. I'll let it slip though as Kiwi lemonade is awesome.
| minton wrote:
| Kiwi lemonade?
| Lio wrote:
| Ah yeah I should clarify that, the lemonade that New
| Zealanders aka Kiwis have locally.
|
| I can't quite remember the brand. Might have been L&P or
| something.
| ravenstine wrote:
| Yeah, L&P (Lemon & Peoroa). Good stuff! Though I remember
| it being carbonated.
| Matsta wrote:
| L&P is indeed carbonated. Used to be reasonably easy to
| get in the UK, but almost impossible since covid.
|
| You won't find non carbonated, yellow lemonade in NZ. As
| mentioned above, you'll just get sprite.
| ravenstine wrote:
| Oh yeah, that seems about right. I haven't been back
| there in 15 years, but when I lived there I encountered
| some oddities like that (as an American), and that fact
| sounds familiar.
|
| I was also a bit stunned when I had ketchup there,
| because it's different from American ketchup. Much
| sweeter, not much vinegar, if any. The hotdogs were also
| different. When I went to high school (i.e. college)
| there, one day they had "American hotdog day", and they
| were like no hotdog I had in America. They were more like
| those red hot link sausages (which I've never seen anyone
| eat in America even though I've seen them in grocery
| stores). So that with their own version of ketchup made
| for an interesting experience, and was a neat allegory
| for how different parts of the world see each other.
|
| Great place, that NZ. I really do miss it. Maybe I'll go
| back once once they finally chill out about COVID.
| ncmncm wrote:
| Anyone in doubt that US vs. UK and the other colonies are
| very, very different countries need not consider
| "lemonade" (Sprite) or Marmite.
|
| Just order breakfast with toast. Anywhere except the US,
| the toast will come out on a "cooling rack". They
| actually want their toast cold! I have never found any
| hint why anyone would want this, but I did read an Ian
| Fleming short story in which James Bond, while in New
| York on (IIRC?) a personal vendetta to gun down some
| Cubans upstate, complains that his toast is delivered
| "damp".
|
| While I am here, fair warning: if you are in Boston and
| order a milkshake, you will absolutely not get anything
| even slightly resembling a proper milkshake. You have to
| ask for a "cabinet". I am not joking.
| amacneil wrote:
| If you ask for "lemonade" in NZ you're going to get
| Sprite.
| classichasclass wrote:
| There is nothing better in the Air New Zealand lounge
| than an L&P and Vegemite on toast transferring between
| flights. Settles the stomach beautifully.
| microtherion wrote:
| Some of us Swiss consume https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cenovis
| but I would not consider ourselves a British outpost.
| hilbert42 wrote:
| Apologies indeed!
|
| 'Outposts' as in those who live in 'odd' parts of the world
| where such delicacies are consumed and appreciated.
|
| _(Despite derogatory comments below you still qualify - see
| my Wiki quote re Vegemite to dfxm12!)_
|
| :-)
| recuter wrote:
| It is similar to English Marmite and Australian Vegemite.
|
| OK, well those two things are completely different so clearly
| Cenovis is inferior to both. Even mentioning the English
| version is lame.
| michaelscott wrote:
| Having tried both I would not consider Cenovis similar to
| Marmite at all. More like distant second cousins at best
| bostik wrote:
| Can Finns, with our love of Salmiak, tag along?
| boredumb wrote:
| Nutritional yeast is pretty popular in the states.
| quadrangle wrote:
| I love nutritional yeast! Have never tried marmite though. Is
| it similar at all besides being yeast-based?
| yissp wrote:
| They both have a similar savory / umami flavor, but Marmite
| is much, much more intense and also quite salty unlike
| nutritional yeast.
| robocat wrote:
| Marmaggedon happened in 2010 in New Zealand: the local version of
| marmite was unavailable because the factory in Christchurch was
| shutdown as a consequence of the earthquake there.
|
| https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/marmageddon-sends-nz-into-a-sp...
| dash2 wrote:
| Quick, upvote this story before the Americans wake up!
| yu-carm-kror wrote:
| I would guess the entire Western hemisphere and 99.99% of the
| planet has zero concern for a Marmite shortage.
| philipswood wrote:
| I prefer Bovril myself, but to first approximation the same
| is true of the entire hackernews site...
| bell-cot wrote:
| Blessed Marmite _is_ more than a tad difficult to obtain here
| in the U.S.A. It was before the da*m virus, too.
|
| I blame the problem on George III. His failure to ensure the
| Marmite supplies to His North American Colonies lead to
| discontent, unrest, panics over our children being deformed
| due to B vitamin deficiencies, and eventually rebellion. /s
| sgt wrote:
| SA-er here. No marmite has ever seen the inside of my house. The
| article is right; either you love it or you hate it.
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