Whatcha Eatin'?

[AlSymerz]

They both have the same basic ingredients and made in a similar way, but there is changes in the herbs and flavours that do make them taste a lot different. Vegemite is also thicker and darker, although don't take that to mean that Marmite is not thick because it is. Marmite is sweeter, while still maintaining the saltiness, Vegemite for the uninitiated can be like licking the salt shaker. What one prefers tends a lot on what one tried first, but to actually suggest one is a substitute for another is a mistake.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

And apparently there is also an English version of Marmite which tastes distinctly different than the Kiwi Marmite. I once read an internet argument over which Marmite was better that went on for dozens of posts. Evevryone was of course standing fast by their country's product. For all I know Canadians and South Africans probably have their own versions too.

Never had Vegemite when I was in Oz so I can't talk about it but if some say it tastes like licking the salt shaker then all I can say is Kiwi Marmite was like licking someone's stinky feet.

 

[Dead1]

Marmite is disgusting.  Vegemite is good but alas gives me terrible indigestion.

[AlSymerz]

Can't say I've ever licked feet to make such a comparison, but I think I'll stick with Vegemite just in case.

In Aus a few years ago (probably 10 now I don't remember) they tried to change the recipe of Vegemite. The official reason was because they wanted to change with the times, the unofficial reason was that with less beer made and yeast no longer the waste product it was in the 1920's the costs to make it were going up and the manufacturer wanted to save money. They hyped it to a massive degree, they claimed people wouldn't notice the change but it would be so much healthier.

It lasted less than a month before the backlash from consumers got too much and the idiots in the marketing department relegated it to Vegemite iSnack 2.0, put it in smaller jars at a higher price to recoup the massive advertising dollars they wasted until the batches made were sold. It's now a collectible item with 270gm jars selling for more than $50AUD.

They also made a Cheesymite variety that still sells in reasonable enough numbers to keep it on the shelf, but all varieties now come in smaller jars than they used to because it was easier to make the jars smaller and increase the price than go through another failed effort changing the formula.

The best bit about all those spreads though is that they never go off, and even if they did you'd never taste the difference!
 

[FatherAlabaster]

Huh. The more I hear about them both, the more horrifying they sound, and at the same time I get the feeling I'd like them. Salt is pretty great in my book. Vegemite is on the list.

[AlSymerz]

The idea is that we make theses food sound terrible so people in other countries wont eat them. It's like all those stories about Australia being full of animals and insects and creepy crawlies that will kill you. The truth is all our native animals are very tame and patting them or feeding them is encouraged.

The only scary animals we have here are drop bears and they are only dangerous if you stand below them!

 

[GoatmasterGeneral]

Vegemite is the least of my Aussie concerns. If the deadly poisonous snakes and spiders don't get ya the extreme oppressive heat will. And if that doesn't work some yobbo will crack your skull with an axe (since they don't encourage firearms over there they just get creative with their blade weapons and farm implemrnts) And if all else fails the dingos will eat your babies. 

 

Not sure if these people are too young for the Seinfeld reference. 

 

[AlSymerz]

The majority of axe wielding maniacs were driven to ground when we all started dressing like Crocodile Dundee and carrying large knives, which were easier to swing. Walk down the main street of any city these days and you barely even see an axe.

As for the dingos, they are innocent, although they'll happily eat Elaine for such a terrible attempt at an Aussie accent.

 

 

[blaaacdoommmmfan]

On 8/22/2021 at 11:36 PM, KillaKukumba said:

Most breakfast sound terrible, it's in the way that you present it that makes the difference. "Breakfast of champions" is a sell point for those who want to be champions but don't know how to start  

 

breakfast of champions does sound good. yeah definitely a good start. have you tried a bullet coffee. uk mp tom watson is very keen on them. apparently there a coffee with melted better in them instead of creme. apparently its very important the cows are grass fed😂im sure it makes all the difference. 

On 8/23/2021 at 12:13 AM, Thatguy said:

I only do breakfast at the weekend.  And it must include Vegemite.  Coffee is my drug of choice for a boost...

 

Corn flakes are nasty dry and disgusting wet.  But that's just my opinion.

that guy im with you re corn flakes. dont like them wet or dry. they dont agree with me. i eat them and i feel worse you probably dont but i do.  loads like them. we dont for differing reasons.   i dont have vegemite but i do like marmite(uk equivalent well i have a superior imo supermarket copy) probably should cut down. a heaped teaspoon on toast is bad for the ticker when I'm having it daily. 

[blaaacdoommmmfan]

17 hours ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Huh. The more I hear about them both, the more horrifying they sound, and at the same time I get the feeling I'd like them. Salt is pretty great in my book. Vegemite is on the list.

my sister has european friends and they just cant get why people like marmite. they see it as stock, like the kind of thing to improve a bolagnese or something. however imo theyve got to be tried to understand it. whats not to like about toast with loads of butter and with yeasty  high salt content product on it i.e marmite. also note im an addict who needs to cut down 😂  

[FatherAlabaster]

2 hours ago, KillaKukumba said:

The majority of axe wielding maniacs were driven to ground when we all started dressing like Crocodile Dundee and carrying large knives, which were easier to swing. Walk down the main street of any city these days and you barely even see an axe.

As for the dingos, they are innocent, although they'll happily eat Elaine for such a terrible attempt at an Aussie accent.

 

 

Good to know at least some of the stereotypes I grew up with are accurate, my worldview feels affirmed.

[AlSymerz]

43 minutes ago, blaaacdoommmmfan said:

breakfast of champions does sound good. yeah definitely a good start. have you tried a bullet coffee. uk mp tom watson is very keen on them. apparently there a coffee with melted better in them instead of creme. apparently its very important the cows are grass fed😂im sure it makes all the difference. 

 

I've tried Bulliet bourbon, not really the breakfast of champions.

I've watched Bullet, but again not really a substantial start to the day.

But I haven't tried bullet coffee. I'm also not quite sure how much of a substitute it would be for any type for breakfast. At about 600ml it's probably filling but I reckon I'd be hungry again by 8am.

Feeding cows grass is an important thing. Our cows used to eat hay and silage but they really didn't like it when we didn't given them grass. They weren't so picky on the type of grass, as long as it was green, but put them in a paddock without it and they got grumpy. So butter from grass fed cows would make a difference, especially if the other choice was butter from cows fed dirt! Although the one advantage of a grumpy cow is that if it's angry enough it will dance around the paddock making a racket and churning it's own butter!  <--- That doesn't actually happen

 

[AlSymerz]

30 minutes ago, FatherAlabaster said:

Good to know at least some of the stereotypes I grew up with are accurate, my worldview feels affirmed.

It all comes down to where you got your "Guide To Australia" book. If it's the edition we send to other countries it says

Australian's all like and act like Crocodile Dundee.

All the wildlife will kill you if you look at it the wrong way.

Australia invented the lamington despite what New Zealand says.

Australian's all drink Fosters

 

Then if you become an Australian Citizen you get a new book  which says

Don't tell anyone we don't all act like Mick (by this stage you are on a first name basis with Dundee)

Don't touch the wildlife and it wont touch you

Australia still invented the lamington

Stop drinking Fosters no, one really drinks that shit we export it because it tastes so bad.

[Dead1]

Don't forget that:

 

Australia consists of only Sydney and the outback.  There are no other cities or towns or any environmental features save scrubby bush with red sand.

Sydney is the capital of Australia (even some Australians think this).

Ayres Rock/Uluru is a short drive from Sydney but only accessible by beat up old Landrover or Landcruiser.

Indigenous Australians still live like it's pre-1788.  That's right - no pants!

The island of Tasmania is just a fictional place that is home to a species of spinning deranged wolverine type creatures.

[AlSymerz]

Oops I was reading the abridged edition

I remember as a kid when we used to write letters to other schools in the world, (this was after using the slate and chisel but well before email) and one American kid asked how good it was to have kangaroos as pets because he'd heard we all had them as pets. Kangaroos are annoying (especially bouncing off the front of the truck), I'd have much rathered a Loony Toons "Tassie" as my Australian pet.

 

On the topic of food we are also one of the few countries in the world that eat their coat of arms as well. Roo is available in more places than emu but both are available commercially to anyone who wants them.

 

[Dead1]

Here in Tassie roo meat is not that easily found but wallaby is.

Most Australians eat chicken and beef.  And judging by contents people's shopping trolley's, pasta is the national food and sweet soft drinks are the national drink.

Where I lived before last year, possums would just trash trees and occasionally get fried on electric poles and wallabies would just shit everywhere.    Occasionally you'd see an echidna on the road.  Lots of rabbits too.

Now I live in modern suburbia and save birds there are no animals...

[AlSymerz]

For sure, the main staples are chicken, beef and pork, but variety is creeping into stores and not just overpriced specialist delis. Our local Coles sells multiple varieties of kangaroo, venison, rabbit and even goat. The sales numbers aren't high but kangaroo does sell in pretty good quantities.

I agree with the thought about pasta and soft drink. It's hard to see how Coke's sales figures have gone down so dramatically when you see how many boxes and bottles of coke are in shopping trolleys.

Where I am we have a kangaroos and wallabies at plague levels, snoring koalas, emus, some ostriches, wombats (mobile speed humps), rabbits by the thousands, wild pigs (Razorback anyone?) and massive owls.

While the area is built on beef and dairy farming we also have quite a few places farming deer, emus and pigs now days too.

[Dead1]

48 minutes ago, KillaKukumba said:

wombats (mobile speed humps)

Made me laugh - my dad hit a dead one and it jammed the automatic transmission of our ancient Holden Sunbird in first gear!

[AlSymerz]

Wombats are even dangerous to trucks, not only are they hard headed but they are nigh on impossible to see at dusk and dawn against the backdrop of the black road. Hitting them at speed has been known to flip vehicles.

 

We've got a steak house up in the mountains near us and the last item on the menu is Roadkill: You kill it we grill it. They do take it literally although I'm not sure if anyone has brought in a wombat. I do know some guy tried to drag a kanagroo into the bar and claimed he ran into but the bullet hole and lack of damage to his ute suggested otherwise.

[Thatguy]

4 hours ago, KillaKukumba said:

Stop drinking Fosters no, one really drinks that shit we export it because it tastes so bad.

We can debate the merits of Marmite vs Vegemite - although I note you are of the correct persuasion  - but there can be no argument that Fosters is undrinkable piss fit only for inflicting on Poms.

[AlSymerz]

Not just the Poms, for a quite a few years through the 80's our famous bridge painter happily helped the Yanks drink the shit too.

[GoatmasterGeneral]

8 hours ago, Dead1 said:

Don't forget that:

 

Australia consists of only Sydney and the outback.  There are no other cities or towns or any environmental features save scrubby bush with red sand.

Sydney is the capital of Australia (even some Australians think this).

Ayres Rock/Uluru is a short drive from Sydney but only accessible by beat up old Landrover or Landcruiser.

Indigenous Australians still live like it's pre-1788.  That's right - no pants!

The island of Tasmania is just a fictional place that is home to a species of spinning deranged wolverine type creatures.

I think even most geographically challenged Americans know about Perth Melbourne and Brizzy too. But we do think that Australians spend most of their time on the beach in their Crocodile Dundee hats and bikinis drinking Fosters and endlessly throwing shrimp on the barbie. In between weekly excursions in their beat up old Land Rovers to the outback to battle the crocodiles, snakes, roos and aborigines of course. 

[BMB]

I had an Aussie girlfriend for around 18 months, I was thoroughly briefed in the Marmite/Vegemite debate. She even got her mum to send a care package that included a huge tub of Vegemite for us. Honestly, I wasn’t bothered which I had, I’ll even add Bovril to the list, all were tasty on some toast.

I did spend just over 3 weeks in Australia in 2007/8. On my first visit to the local social club bar I was given advice on being safe around the local wildlife. All I can say is that it was reminiscent of the Slaughtered Lamb scene from An American Werewolf in London!

During my stay I did see a Redback Spider (living in the stairwell of the apartments I was staying at), I trod on some kind of Ray buried under the sand while wading across a tidal creek, saw a dorsal fin rise out of the water near a group of swimmers (thankfully it was a playful dolphin) and dozens of kangaroos which I kept a safe distance from. 

But it turns out the biggest danger was what the locals referred to as “ferals”. The “ferals” were young, drunk holidaymakers that caused absolute chaos during the holiday seasons. The place I stayed was a small town that had a population of around 5k but it doubled in size during the national holidays. They certainly kept the police busy!

[AlSymerz]

Red backs aren't even a major threat these days because most people know about them and know what to do if bitten. White tailed spiders got a bad rap because for years people spread stories about their bite causing a form of necroticism but it's scientifically proven that while they are poisonous they have been unfairly typecast. Sydney's funnelweb spiders are still very prominent but unlike the redback or white tailed they are big so you seem them coming. But they are nothing compared to the big fuckers found in Western Australia, those things can be the size of a dinner plate and they just knock on your door and wait for you to let them in!

We had a pet tarantula when I lived in Sydney, no idea if he scared away the funnel webs or not but I never saw one, but I have seen the Golden Orb spider of WA and they definitely fill out a dinner plate for those that are hungry.

The young feral population lives in many towns, and not always holiday towns because they all have to go home at some point. I used to do over night deliveries and some of the small country towns have their ferals. These idiots just go out, get drunk, stoned or both and cause trouble or break things. In Queensland (pre covid) they used to have a thing called Schoolies where those young adults finishing school would all turn up and drink for two weeks as if their school years were the hardest of their life and they needed a rest. That had been going on for about 30 years, but in more recent times there has been a influx of "toolies", adults who just want to sell drugs and cause trouble. But in reality that same thing happens every Friday and Saturday night in many towns across the country just in smaller numbers.

[Thatguy]

You are correct about the white tail spider.  All insect bites may transmit infection and sometimes quite nasty infection.  It is not the 'venom' that eats the flesh but bacteria.

 

When my patients blame their problem on a spider bite I always ask - did you see the spider?  Almost always the answer is no.