Vegemite

No overview of Australian cuisine would be complete without Australia’s national paste, the much maligned and misunderstood sandwich spread, Vegemite.

Yeast extract is not only good for you, it's tasty as well. At least, that was the opinion, in 1922, of a young Australian by the name of Fred Walker. Walker decided to try to make a special "yeast extract" that would be as delicious as it was nourishing.

The chief scientist in the company Fred owned, was Dr. Cyril Callister, and it was Dr. Callister who "invented" the first Vegemite spread. He used brewer's yeast from Carlton & United Breweries, and blended the yeast extract with ingredients like celery and onions, and salt to make a thick dark paste.

Fred Walker's new product didn't have a name, so he held a trade name competition to find it one, and in 1923, Dr. Callister's paste became"Vegemite". Various names rejected by the company included “Brown sludge”, “Slagamite”, “Slummock”, “Scurf”, and “Black Fecula”.

Later on, in World War II, soldiers, sailors, and the civilian population all had Vegemite included in their rations, and it got so popular it fell into short supply.

Fred Walker and Company Pty Ltd became KRAFT Foods Limited in 1950, but Vegemite will probably always be Vegemite. After all, it celebrated its 60th anniversary in October 1983, and to mark the occasion, they put a plaque opposite the site of Fred's original factory in Melbourne.

By Gordon Springer for the Epicentre. © 2003. All rights reserved.