What is Vegemite?
Vegemite is a dark brown, salty spread made from leftover brewer's yeast extract, invented in Melbourne in 1922. It is usually spread thinly on buttered toast and is an Australian icon.
Food technologist Cyril Callister developed Vegemite for the Fred Walker Company after supplies of the British spread Marmite were disrupted by the First World War. He used yeast left over from brewing beer.
Vegemite is rich in B vitamins, and during the Second World War it was included in Australian soldiers' rations. Its popularity grew rapidly, and by the 1950s it was found in most Australian homes.
Happy Little Vegemites
The Happy Little Vegemites jingle, first used in advertising in the 1950s, became one of Australia's best-known advertising songs. Vegemite toast and Vegemite and cheese sandwiches are classic school lunches.
Visitors are often warned to spread Vegemite very thinly, as its strong, salty flavour can be overwhelming. Many Australians abroad carry jars with them.
For decades Vegemite was owned by the American company Kraft, but in 2017 it was bought by Bega Cheese, returning the brand to Australian ownership. It is still made in Melbourne.
Did You Know?
Vegemite was briefly renamed Parwill in the 1920s as a joke on Marmite: if Ma might, then Pa will.