What is Vegemite made of? Like many Australians, when I travel on mission work, I take small jars of Vegemite as gifts to my hosts.
I explain very carefully to each host family that one minimally spreads Vegemite on a slice of bread or toast or a cracker as its taste is on the "powerful side"; and that a layer of butter between the toast and the Vegemite is absolutely essential to the taste sensation.
Of course none of his hosts take any notice, thinking I was "winding them up" as to this weird 'down under' condiment, they spread it like they spread their jams, thick and luxuriously.
As it is common knowledge that international visitors treat this special, dark, smooth spread the same way. I knew what would happen.
Even one slight taste of Vegemite sent them rushing for the kitchen tap and an urgent drink of water or something even stronger. Most shook their heads in horror and immediately knew where Australians get their flat 'down under' accents from.
One of my hosts back in 1984 was working for the highly secret 'star wars' anti-ballistic missile program and he thought it was a great 'trick' to take it to his secret work place and share such 'exciting culinary delights' - he reported back that there was no end of tasters and all and sundry reported they had found the next secret 'poison' as they too rushed for the water dispensers.
Everyone wanted to know what Vegemite was made from. I gave each one the same answer as I gave his own four children when they were tiny tots, (even now as a grand-father the story is the same).
"Emu beak and Kangaroo tail".
Real history
Of course, the real history of Vegemite and its ingredients is not nearly so colourful as this family joke, but it makes an interesting social commentary nevertheless and somewhat of a moral tale.
It was, in fact, a copy of the English Marmite that was developed from the yeast waste-products from the beer-brewing industry, when Marmite was unavailable during World War I. At first, the product did not sell well. Even Australians of the 1920s, it seems, had not acquired the taste yet.
It wasn't until Kraft Products took over Vegemite and pushed it in a comprehensive two-year marketing campaign that the sales really took off. By then it was 1939.
So it may not be the 'traditional Australian icon' that we now regard it as, but in reality Vegemite is now a staple diet for most Australians. It is certainly an acquired taste as it is very salty and not at all sweet (although the salt content has recently been reduced – from 10% to 8%!!).
It was promoted as having a high vitamin B content, which it indeed does, and was considered an economical and nutritious spread for breakfast toast, school lunch sandwiches and picnics (perhaps with some cheese or cheese and lettuce on the sandwich as well). So whole generations of Australians have been weaned onto it and eaten it since they were tiny tots.
Taste is different
Anyone from elsewhere (other than England or New Zealand) finds the Vegemite taste "very different" to anything they've tasted before and many report it as tasting like soup bouillon – which in fact it does, and which it resembles. In fact, my late mother used to make a version of the invalid's 'beef tea' by dissolving a teaspoon of Vegemite in hot water, as a soup, for me to drink when I had been sick.
You might recall a few years ago the Kevin Rudd story when as Australia's Foreign Minister (a former Prime Minister), had taken little jars of Vegemite as gifts. He was stopped at Customs to explain his Vegemite jar. Eventually he was let through.
All this led me to contemplate the role of icons and marketing persuasion. This is rather a benign example, and as it turns out, Vegemite is really-truly laden with vitamin B and contains no sugar, so it is a healthy and tasty spread for sandwiches or toast.
However, the methodology of its incorporation into Australian culture is no different from the push-advertising and mass media campaigns for any new product in our society. I alert Christians to be wary of the 'spin doctor', whether they be pushing a new food, a new vacuum cleaner, a new political party or a new religion. Remember the story of the golden calves as told in 1 Kings 12 verses 26-33.
Use electronic media for good purposes, and to check the nature and history of any new product before 'trying just a little, spread on a layer of butter on a hot piece of toast.' Make sure it is the genuine Ten Commandments you are buying, and not simply the icon of the golden calf.
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He mentors young writers and has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at http://www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html