Salty, strong and typically Down Under: Vegemite turns 100. Today, the peculiar spread is part of the Australian identity – it’s almost a miracle that the paste still exists at all.
Sydney – It’s not every day that a spread makes it into the lyrics of a world hit. Vegemite succeeded in this. “He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich,” says the Australian anthem “Down Under” by the band Men At Work. The song is a declaration of love to the fifth continent and one of its most iconic foods. Because most “Aussies” are very fond of the black-brown paste, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. Elsewhere, the enthusiasm tends to cause perplexity.
Malty, salty and also a bit bitter, Vegemite sits in the mouth with its thick texture. The specialty belongs to the red continent like kangaroos, the outback or Kylie Minogue. “People have a love affair with Vegemite – and even if you don’t like it, you still love it!” says Jamie Callister of the German Press Agency.
His grandfather, Cyril Percy Callister, developed Vegemite in 1922. Ten years ago, the 62-year-old published a book about his grandfather and his invention: “The Man Who Invented Vegemite: The True Story Behind an Australian Icon”.
It all started with a flop
The beginning wasn’t easy: “When it rolled off the assembly line for the first time, it was an absolute flop. Even the head salesman couldn’t stand the smell, let alone the taste,” says Jamie Callister. Many non-Australians trying Vegemite for the first time feel the same way. With one exception: The British are just as proud of their Vegemite predecessor “Marmite”. Both spreads are brewer’s yeast extracts and taste similar.
Australians have only slowly discovered their love for the spread, which is now advertised with the slogan “Tastes like Australia”. When Cyril Callister developed Vegemite for the Fred Walker Company in 1922, he was also subsequently involved in another product that was revolutionary at the time: processed cheese. “While Vegemite languished, the cheese grew in popularity – and that’s how Vegemite got a foot in the door. Otherwise it would probably have perished,” says the grandson.
A marketing trick finally saved the spread: The Fred Walker Company gave a small glass of Vegemite for free with every processed cheese sold. And since the 1930s were also marked by the global economic crisis in Australia, people lived frugally and did not waste food. Another advantage: Neither processed cheese nor Vegemite need to be refrigerated – and refrigerators only became popular “down under” in the 1950s.
Good for the brain
The exact recipe of Vegemite is a closely guarded secret. One thing is certain: It is made from yeast that remains after the beer has been brewed. It also contains malt, salt, vegetable extract and a particularly large number of B vitamins, which are not only good for the brain but also reduce fatigue, stress and the risk of heart disease. Anyone who is pregnant or wants to become pregnant should also use Vegemite: the vitamin B3 contributes to the healthy development of the embryo and has been shown to reduce miscarriages and birth defects.
It was precisely these health aspects that ensured that Vegemite was officially recommended by the British Medical Association and other medical professionals in 1939. The Australian army also relied on Vegemite during the Second World War and bought the spread in such large quantities that at times only one glass per head could be sold in the supermarkets.
Vegemite’s path from a pungent-smelling flop to a beloved product was complete: in 1942, 20 years after its development, the product could be found in most Australian pantries. A successful advertising campaign in the 1950s spawned the jingle “Happy little Vegemites” which made the product even more popular. Some call the song Australia’s second unofficial national anthem.
Always with you in your luggage
Today, Australians even take their beloved Vegemite with them on vacation. Politicians also like to have it in their luggage, such as the then Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd on a trip to the USA in 2011. At the airport, he then had to convince the American security officials that the dark paste was not dangerous.
Everyone has their own “Vegemite story,” says Callister. And how is the paste eaten? He himself relies on a slice of fresh sourdough bread with butter and Vegemite. But there are also recipes for Vegemite cheesecake or roast pork with Vegemite crust on the internet. Some restaurants even offer Vegemite Fried Chicken, Vegemite Ice Cream and Vegemite Martinis.
Just in time for the 100th anniversary, a small pop-up museum has opened in Cyril Callister’s birthplace Beaufort. Here visitors can immerse themselves in the history of Vegemite and the life of the inventor. “The interest is great,” said Liza Robinson of the German Press Agency. She is the executive secretary of the Cyril Callister Foundation, founded in 2019 by his grandson.
“When visitors come to the museum, they tell their own Vegemite stories,” says Liza Robinson. “Then it’s either about the grandma who gave them Vegemite as a child, or about the parents and the lunches. And they are so passionate about it! People talk about no other food like Vegemite.”
To give the spread a permanent home in Australia, the foundation plans to set up a permanent museum and café featuring Vegemite creations – a gathering place for all fans of the yeast extract. Jamie Callister puts it in a nutshell: “Vegemite is not just my story, it’s our story.” dpa
