• southsamurai@sh.itjust.works
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    29 days ago

    What, you prefer vegemite for your yeasty goodness?

    For real though, it took ages for either to be available here. It might have gotten to big cities sooner, but I only got to try either last year.

    First taste was horrible because my silly American ass took a small spoonful right from the jar.

    But either vegemite or marmite, if you treat them like an ingredient, or a spread are amazing. But we’re talking dabs the size of a pea or two spread across toast then lightly buttered, or the same amount to a big bowl of noodles or the equivalent.

    It’s as deeply flavorful as something like fish sauce, mushrooms, etc, all the usual umami bombs, but it comes with that extra rich yeast flavor that’s somewhere like a mix of cheese and malt syrup. Marmite also has a hint of what makes pot likker from greens so damn amazing, where vegemite runs more towards a more metallic twang.

    The key is to go sparing, and add by tiny amounts since the threshold between amazing and “what the fuck did I do to my mouth” is so small. Like, if you cut a pea into quarters, that’s the kind of increments you want because even one too many of those size bits can be too much.

    Gods, the taste of marmite on toast used to sop up egg yolk? I’ve had sex that isn’t that good.

    Put that pea sized amount in something like a pot of chili, or a beef stew, and you don’t really recognize what changed if you aren’t aware, but you notice the extra depth of flavor.

    I can’t really say either vegemite or marmite is better, but I prefer marmite as a spread overall. Vegemite stays too thick, so you get the texture of it competing with the bread texture. The flavor is great, but the texture is kinda gummy instead of that thick, syrupy liquidity or marmite

    Hey, I’m American, I don’t have to take a side in the war between them lol