Between the Bread

Though the idea of a banana and Vegemite sandwich didn't go over so well with my palate, I decided to try again with the last heirloom tomatoes of the season.

Since fresh salted tomatoes, simply combined with lettuce, cheese, and good bread, make a great sandwich, I figured the salty Vegemite could stand in for the seasoning. With thick aged white cheddar, the combo may not be purely Aussie, but it worked for me, and the condiment is slowly growing on me, if not inciting a long-dormant passion.

I set off on a mission to make my first Vegemite sandwich and ended up with an Elvis-inspired after-school snack instead.

I had every intention of creating what I'd dubbed the Aussie after-school snack: a Vegemite and banana sandwich, recommended by a Vegemite-loving acquaintance. But after tasting some of the very intense condiment on toast, I decided I needed to ease in to the Vegemite. Maybe something less exotic, like 'mite and cheddar.

Almond butter and banana on wheat is fast becoming my new comfort food. For more photos, including my Vegemite experiment, read more

Over a lively euchre game the other night, we got into an even livelier conversation about Marmite and Vegemite. I find that conversations about these love-them-or-hate-them condiments are always impassioned, so I was surprised that some of my foodie friends weren't familiar with them.

Though Marmite and Vegemite are unconventional in the US, in their home countries, they are as common as peanut butter or mayonnaise. Vegemite is pretty much the national food of Australia, and Marmite is the UK's version. Most commonly spread on toast and used on sandwiches, both spreads are made with yeast extract, a by-product of beer brewing. It's super-salty, high in vitamin B, and a good example of "the fifth taste" known as umami.

I was first introduced to Vegemite while working as a camp counselor with lots of Aussie co-workers, all of whom brought enough Vegemite to get them through the summer.  This is apparently quite common, the joke being that Australians always pack Vegemite when they travel. To kids who grow up in Marmite and Vegemite territories, it's as essential to childhood eating as PB&Js are here — but inspires an even more fanatical devotion.

I don't remember liking Marmite very much but I'm giving the taste another try. Andrew got a tube of Vegemite from an Australian co-worker, so I'm going to take the plunge with a Vegemite sandwich. Apparently, it's often used on cheese sandwiches, though my euchre friend loves Marmite and banana sandwiches. If you have any suggestions, leave them in the comments.

Source: Flickr User S2Art