30 ms·

I have two giant jars (910 g/2 lb each!) of Vegemite, one of which is approaching 2/3 empty. It's lovely stuff, though I can understand people hating it - it's

I have two giant jars (910 g/2 lb each!) of Vegemite, one of which is approaching 2/3 empty. It's lovely stuff, though I can understand people hating it - it's concentrated and has an intense flavor, and people who don't know better probably use waaay too much. It tastes kind of like yeasty soy sauce that has been boiled down to a salty, thick black spread (or very dark, mushroomy miso). It's great scratched on buttery toast or grilled cheese, or as part of a soup stock. It's made from beer yeast dregs, and is loaded with umami and B vitamins. I highly recommend adding some to soup stock, especially vegetarian soups. It adds a lot of depth. I haven't ever tried marmite (as elblanco mentions), but everything I've read has made them sound similar. (I'm not Australian. I'm from Michigan, actually...)

deleted 16y ago
[deleted]
sliverstorm 16y ago
> I highly recommend adding some to soup stock, especially vegetarian soups But can vegetarians eat bacteria? They are animals too.
- silentbicycle 16y ago
  That depends on how neurotic they are. (Laziest trolling ever, PS. Back to slashdot with you.) I'm suggesting it specifically because vegetarian soups tend to have less umami (the savory, "meaty"/MSG flavor). Non-veg cooks can just simmer bones, etc., but vegetarians need to get umami from mushrooms, grilled root vegetables, boiled parmesan reggiano rinds (which are totally awesome, BTW), miso, etc., and vegemite is another option. It's quite cheap (if you buy it in "I'm going backpacking forever and may not make it back to Australia"-sized jars) and keeps forever (what's it going to do...become more salty?), so it's pretty convenient.
  - sliverstorm 16y ago
    Not trolling, I am just amused at the arbitrary lines-in-the-sand I occasionally see vegetarians and vegans drawing, and was curious about their outlook on this matter.
    - silentbicycle 16y ago
      A lot of people have identities based on loud-but-poorly-thought-out politics/ideologies. Vocal / recent-convert / squeamish teenage vegetarians are hardly unique in this regard, and nor does it mean that intelligent people haven't arrived at similar conclusions for reasons that aren't vapid. As with most things, though, the loud "I believe so hard in cause X" people tend to drown out the thoughtful ones. (Also, the vegetarians I've known have been more pragmatic than the vegans, who are generally more ideological.) The only group I've seen seriously struggle with the whole "OMG I'm killing bacteria by breathing, what should I do" issue are the Jains, and I find them pretty silly. (I'm not a vegetarian, but when I was...I still found them pretty silly.) Some vegetarians are amazing cooks, too. Constraints can really drive creativity.
- bonzoesc 16y ago
  They're not. We're closer to plants than we are to bacteria. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-domain_system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-domain_system
  - sliverstorm 16y ago
    I doubt science matters to most veg's I've known.
- elblanco 16y ago
  Some vegans try not to eat bacteria. It's usually not a problem for vegetarians.
  - silentbicycle 16y ago
    You're probably thinking of Jains, not vegans.
    - elblanco 16y ago
      Close I guess. I'm thinking more of recent convert Buddhist Vegan types. One gave me a 30 minute discussion over the current thinking in their particular vegan community...basically it amounted to being an absolutely impossible task to avoid eating bacteria so they can stay on the list of consumables, but everybody should be mindful of the lives they are snuffing out. It was all rather eye-rolling. I can definitely see Jains getting in on that nonsense.
      - silentbicycle 16y ago
        Which is pretty funny - Gautama emphasized a practical "middle path" rather than some extremist monastic malarkey, specifically because that sort of crap completely detaches you from daily life. I've found it useful time and time again to be wary of recent converts of all stripes, whether it's Veganism, Objectivism, Haskell, etc.
        elblanco 16y ago
        > Gautama emphasized a practical "middle path" rather than some extremist monastic malarkey If I remember, enlightenment was not found in the extremes under Kaundinya. That message really seems to be lost I think. Both in the purposeful following of an extreme ideal, or in not being mindful of extreme habits. Even if one is not a Buddhist, the concept of the middle path can be wonderfully freeing from expectations of extreme ideologies that sometimes ferment under civilizations.
        16y ago
elblanco 16y ago
I like Vegemite better myself. It's less intense of a flavor.
- silentbicycle 16y ago
  Could you describe the difference a little more? I'm really curious, but when I've seen Marmite here in the states, it's always been so ludicrously overpriced (for a little jar) that I've skipped it.
  - elblanco 16y ago
    I haven't had Marmite in quite a while. But if memory serves, the savoriness (smell and flavor) was really more intense -- it's hard to describe, almost like burnt steak ground up into a paste. Vegemite always seemed to be more palatable to me. I guess the best way to compare the two is Guinness extra stout vs. regular Guinness. Unless you really like it, you probably won't use much of either -- it can go for a very long time. I personally like to use it like a seasoning to add savoriness to my cooking.
steveh72 16y ago
Vegemite is predominately Aussie, and there are 2 different kinds of Marmite - New Zealand and UK. You find the New Zealand stuff in Australia and NZ; the UK stuff most other places. NZ marmite is black, UK marmite is more brown. They all taste different, but most likely uniformly awful unless you grew up with it.
bootload 16y ago
"... I have two giant jars (910 g/2 lb each!) of Vegemite ..." The biggest tins (yes, tins) I found of Vegemite was in Colac at local grocery store weighing in at 5Kg. I wish I had a photo. Sounds like you, @silentbicycle have an acquired taste for the stuff. Love offering it to American folk who usually accuse me of trying to poison them. Marmite is similar but there is a distinct taste difference. Both do well as stocks.

deleted 16y ago

[deleted]

sliverstorm 16y ago

> I highly recommend adding some to soup stock, especially vegetarian soups But can vegetarians eat bacteria? They are animals too.

silentbicycle 16y ago
That depends on how neurotic they are. (Laziest trolling ever, PS. Back to slashdot with you.) I'm suggesting it specifically because vegetarian soups tend to have less umami (the savory, "meaty"/MSG flavor). Non-veg cooks can just simmer bones, etc., but vegetarians need to get umami from mushrooms, grilled root vegetables, boiled parmesan reggiano rinds (which are totally awesome, BTW), miso, etc., and vegemite is another option. It's quite cheap (if you buy it in "I'm going backpacking forever and may not make it back to Australia"-sized jars) and keeps forever (what's it going to do...become more salty?), so it's pretty convenient.
- sliverstorm 16y ago
  Not trolling, I am just amused at the arbitrary lines-in-the-sand I occasionally see vegetarians and vegans drawing, and was curious about their outlook on this matter.
  - silentbicycle 16y ago
    A lot of people have identities based on loud-but-poorly-thought-out politics/ideologies. Vocal / recent-convert / squeamish teenage vegetarians are hardly unique in this regard, and nor does it mean that intelligent people haven't arrived at similar conclusions for reasons that aren't vapid. As with most things, though, the loud "I believe so hard in cause X" people tend to drown out the thoughtful ones. (Also, the vegetarians I've known have been more pragmatic than the vegans, who are generally more ideological.) The only group I've seen seriously struggle with the whole "OMG I'm killing bacteria by breathing, what should I do" issue are the Jains, and I find them pretty silly. (I'm not a vegetarian, but when I was...I still found them pretty silly.) Some vegetarians are amazing cooks, too. Constraints can really drive creativity.
bonzoesc 16y ago
They're not. We're closer to plants than we are to bacteria. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-domain_system http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-domain_system
- sliverstorm 16y ago
  I doubt science matters to most veg's I've known.
elblanco 16y ago
Some vegans try not to eat bacteria. It's usually not a problem for vegetarians.
- silentbicycle 16y ago
  You're probably thinking of Jains, not vegans.
  - elblanco 16y ago
    Close I guess. I'm thinking more of recent convert Buddhist Vegan types. One gave me a 30 minute discussion over the current thinking in their particular vegan community...basically it amounted to being an absolutely impossible task to avoid eating bacteria so they can stay on the list of consumables, but everybody should be mindful of the lives they are snuffing out. It was all rather eye-rolling. I can definitely see Jains getting in on that nonsense.
    - silentbicycle 16y ago
      Which is pretty funny - Gautama emphasized a practical "middle path" rather than some extremist monastic malarkey, specifically because that sort of crap completely detaches you from daily life. I've found it useful time and time again to be wary of recent converts of all stripes, whether it's Veganism, Objectivism, Haskell, etc.
      - elblanco 16y ago
        > Gautama emphasized a practical "middle path" rather than some extremist monastic malarkey If I remember, enlightenment was not found in the extremes under Kaundinya. That message really seems to be lost I think. Both in the purposeful following of an extreme ideal, or in not being mindful of extreme habits. Even if one is not a Buddhist, the concept of the middle path can be wonderfully freeing from expectations of extreme ideologies that sometimes ferment under civilizations.
        16y ago

elblanco 16y ago

I like Vegemite better myself. It's less intense of a flavor.

silentbicycle 16y ago
Could you describe the difference a little more? I'm really curious, but when I've seen Marmite here in the states, it's always been so ludicrously overpriced (for a little jar) that I've skipped it.
- elblanco 16y ago
  I haven't had Marmite in quite a while. But if memory serves, the savoriness (smell and flavor) was really more intense -- it's hard to describe, almost like burnt steak ground up into a paste. Vegemite always seemed to be more palatable to me. I guess the best way to compare the two is Guinness extra stout vs. regular Guinness. Unless you really like it, you probably won't use much of either -- it can go for a very long time. I personally like to use it like a seasoning to add savoriness to my cooking.

steveh72 16y ago

Vegemite is predominately Aussie, and there are 2 different kinds of Marmite - New Zealand and UK. You find the New Zealand stuff in Australia and NZ; the UK stuff most other places. NZ marmite is black, UK marmite is more brown. They all taste different, but most likely uniformly awful unless you grew up with it.

bootload 16y ago

"... I have two giant jars (910 g/2 lb each!) of Vegemite ..." The biggest tins (yes, tins) I found of Vegemite was in Colac at local grocery store weighing in at 5Kg. I wish I had a photo. Sounds like you, @silentbicycle have an acquired taste for the stuff. Love offering it to American folk who usually accuse me of trying to poison them. Marmite is similar but there is a distinct taste difference. Both do well as stocks.