14 Facts About Vegemite

Vegemite is a thick, dark brown Australian food spread made from leftover brewers' yeast extract with various vegetable and spice additives.

Vegemite is salty, slightly bitter, malty, and rich in glutamates – giving it an umami flavour similar to beef bouillon.

Vegemite brand returned to Australian ownership in 2017 when Bega Cheese purchased it alongside other assets from Mondelez International .

Vegemite first appeared on the market in 1923 with advertising emphasising the value of Vegemite to children's health, but failed to sell well.

Sales responded and in 1939 Vegemite was officially endorsed by the British Medical Association as a rich source of B vitamins.

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Rationed in Australia during World War II, Vegemite was included in Australian Army rations and by the late 1940s was used in nine out of ten Australian homes.

Vegemite is produced in Australia at their Port Melbourne manufacturing facility, which produces more than 22 million jars annually.

Vegemite was produced in New Zealand for over 50 years, but as of August 2006 New Zealand production had ceased.

Common way of eating Vegemite is on toasted bread with a layer of butter or margarine.

Limited quantities of kosher Vegemite were first produced in the 1980s; a 2004 decision to cease certification was reversed after a backlash from Jewish consumers.

Main ingredient of Vegemite is yeast extract, which contains a high concentration of glutamic acid, the source of Vegemite's rich umami flavour.

Vegemite is banned from Victorian prisons, with the bans beginning to come into effect from the 1990s, to prevent inmates from brewing alcohol using the paste's high yeast content, despite the fact that Vegemite contains no live yeast.

Vegemite was mentioned in the original version of John Williamson's song "True Blue".

Vegemite removed the reference in a later version of the song because at the time, Vegemite was no longer Australian-owned.