Vegemite is a bread spread made from brewer’s yeast, vegetables, and spices, closely associated with Australia and New Zealand. It was created in 1923 by Dr. Cyril P. Callister and was originally called Parwill. It was renamed Vegemite in 1935 and is often considered Australia’s national food. It is low in fat, contains the same sodium content as a glass of milk, and is a good source of several B vitamins and folic acid. Vegemite is often used as a spread on toast or sandwiches and is advertised as healthy and a great snack for pregnant moms.
Vegemite is a bread cream made from extracts of brewer’s yeast, some vegetables and spices. It is most closely associated with New Zealand and Australia, where it is manufactured by Kraft. Vegemite is not the first spread of its kind — before Australia made it, the British had Marmite and the Swiss had a similar spread called Cenovis.
Marmite was developed and manufactured before 1910. In contrast, Dr. Cyril P. Callister created Vegemite in 1923. Although the product was originally called Vegemite, the name changed to Parwill in 1928. This was an effort to replace the most popular Marmite exported from Great Britain and available in Australia. A slogan “Marmite but Parwill” was adopted to expand Parwill’s sales.
Parwill was renamed Vegemite in 1935 and has enjoyed success in the Australian market ever since. It also sells well in the UK, sometimes outselling Marmite. Vegemite can be found in the United States in stores that sell imported products, but it can be hard to find. This led to an urban legend that the US had banned the sale of Vegemite because it contained folic acid or folic acid as an additive. The Food and Drug Administration has no plans, nor has it ever planned, to ban sales of Vegemite.
Probably the most appropriate explanation for the lack of Vegemite available is that taste is something acquired. It has a tart, somewhat bitter, and very salty taste that many Americans dislike. In fact there are many Australians and New Zealanders who don’t even care. Despite this, Vegemite is often considered Australia’s national food.
Vegemite is often used as a spread on toast or for sandwiches. It inspired the famous reference by the Australian band Men at Work, in the song “Land Down Under”. One line states: “She just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich.”
Kraft currently advertises Vegemite as both healthy and a great snack for pregnant moms. A serving of about one teaspoon or five grams has 30 percent of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of folic acid, or folic acid, which is an important nutrient, especially for women trying to get pregnant. Women who take the RDA of folic acid before becoming pregnant have a much lower incidence of bearing babies with a variety of birth defects.
Vegemite is also low in fat and contains about the same sodium content as a glass of milk. So while it tastes quite salty, it’s actually not high in sodium or fat. While it’s a good source of several B vitamins, Vegemite isn’t particularly high in protein. Alone or served with bread, it’s not necessarily a protein-rich meal.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
