Food - Drink
Is There A Real Difference Between Marmite And Vegemite?
By ANNA KANG
Given that both Marmite and Vegemite are black spreads created from brewer's yeast extract, which gives them a savory umami flavor, to the untrained eye, they may appear to be identical. However, as devoted followers of either spread will attest, they are not the same.
Both come in their distinctive yellow-lidded glass jars with red and yellow labels, but what's inside has a different look. Marmite is a burnt brown color with a sticky consistency akin to syrup or molasses, whereas Vegemite is a black paste with a thick consistency comparable to peanut butter.
Vegemite is stronger and has a hint of bitterness compared to Marmite, which is sweeter and has a milder flavor. While they both contain salt and vegetable extracts, Marmite includes glutamic acid-rich yeast extract and celery extract, whereas Vegemite contains B vitamins and malt extract from barley.
Marmite and Vegemite have a difference in origins as well. Although Marmite is well known in the UK, Justus Von Liebig from Germany originally came up with the idea in 1902; in contrast, Australian chemist Cyril Callister came up with Vegemite a year later in 1923.