I have so much going on this month, I hope I can keep up with it all. Besides both my guys going back to school next week, I am back co-hosting the Tasty Tuesdays link-up (at the bottom of this post). Plus I have joined the August Food Blogger Challenge to improve this space. Be sure to follow along on social media and/or sign up for the newsletter because I will be sharing the amazing talents of the other Food Bloggers in the group.
But first let's grab a quick sandwich, shall we?.
The Australian members of FMS Photo a Day Facebook group often wax poetic about Vegemite. And I admit to being curious.
Let’s get a few things out of the way before I continue:
- Neither Vegemite nor Kraft is sponsoring this post.
- I am quite familiar with Men at Work’s song “Down Under” (“He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich”). I am a child of the 80’s. Want me type the entire song from memory?
- Yes, I have seen the recent clip of Hugh Jackman and Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show.
- Vegemite is a spread made as a byproduct of the beer making process. It is non-alcoholic, vegan and gluten-free.
When I saw some in the store I hesitated to buy a 7.7 ounce jar for $8. The PADsters were aghast at the price (at least double what it is there), but assured me you are only supposed to use a very little bit so it will last a long time. I normally receive about 5 likes and maybe a comment or two on my pictures. That one received a hundred! They do love their Vegemite.
When I opened the jar and took a smell I thought of Bovril, which is more or less a beef bouillon. This is one of the reasons American’s gag at the taste of Vegemite. Not only do we put it on too thick, we are so conditioned to think toast should be topped with something sweet that we freak out when it isn’t.
Truth be told, I didn’t put it on toast the first time I tried it. I put it in some hamburgers and later I added it to the Low Fat Meatballs. YUM! Vegemite is a vegetarian “umami” booster. Umami is the fifth taste humans can perceive (sweet, salty, sour and bitter). It is described as a savory or meaty flavor. Want to know more? Check out Ben Starr’s post on using Vegemite for an umami boost.
I did eventually try it on buttered toast, thinly spread as recommended and it was… good. It wasn’t horrible, it wasn't fabulous, but it was good. I will give it another try someday, but I’d rather use it as described above, or on this sandwich. This was another inspiration from the PADsters. For a non-vegetarian, the Vegemite added a nice savory flavor to the sandwich, which seemed to make it more filling.
I found it in the International section of my grocery store. You could ask your grocer to special order it, or order it online (affiliate link). If you get the chance to try Vegemite, or it’s cousin Marmite, I recommend that you do. Who knows, you might discover it is delicious. And if enough of us Americans start buying it, hopefully it will be easier to find and a bit cheaper.
[Tweet "VAT sandwich - Vegemite, avocado and tomato! Don't knock it til you try it. #vegemite"]
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Danielle from Creatively Homespun, Audrey at That Recipe, Ashley from Forgetful Momma, and Cate from Random Crafty Georgia Girl are our co-hosts for August.
Please make sure that you follow them in at least one way! They will be commenting on and pinning many of your posts.
We would love to have you link up to three of your old or new food posts!
Here are just a few requests for this linky:
- PLEASE follow the hosts and co-hosts of this party through one of their social media listed below. They visit your post, leave a comment, and pin your post. Just pick one (or more) of the options below and please follow them.
**Tammy at Creative K Kids (Blog)**
Pinterest/Facebook/Google+/Twitter/Instagram
**Danielle at Creatively Homespun (Blog)**
Pinterest/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Bloglovin
**Audrey at That Recipe (Blog)**
Pinterest/Facebook/Google+/Twitter/Instagram
**Ashley at Forgetful Momma (Blog)**
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**Cate at Random Crafty Georgia Girl (Blog)**
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- Please make sure you link up only food-related posts that have never been linked up here before or they will be deleted. Non-food posts can always be linked up to the Bloggers Brags Pinterest Party! Posts containing alcohol also will not be pinned.
- Try to visit a couple of blogs and leave a comment or share their posts.
- Place this button or a link to this post somewhere on your site--either on the actual post or on your sidebar or on your party page.
- As a thank-you for linking up, we will pin your recipe to the Tasty Tuesdays at Creative K Kids Pinterest board. Please follow the board to see all the great food recipes!
- By linking up, you agree to let any of the hosts or co-hosts use your pictures and links if they decide to feature your post. Your photo may also be used for promotion on any of their social media outlets.
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Until next time, g'day
~Audrey
Winnie
I'm a vegetarian so this sandwich is just perfect for me!!
Thanks Audrey for hosting another party 🙂
Audrey
Glad you liked it, Winnie!
Joanne T Ferguson
Thanks Audrey for hosting this great party Pinned and shared and hope to see you at the Say G'day Party! #ibabloggers
Audrey
I know how you feel about Vegemite! Thanks for stopping by.
Loretta
The first time I tried vegemite was my senior year, a member of our class was a visiting student from Australia and did a presentation on how to properly eat vegemite and brought all sorts of samples for everyone to try. It was fun and we learned a lot about the huge cultural food differences.
Audrey
I love learning trying foods from different cultures. I find Americans can be quite unadventurous in this department.
Deborah Davis
Hi Audrey,
I hopped over from our Foodaplenty Facebook group to link up at your party. Today I shared Spice Up Your Life with Fresh, Spicy and Savory Organic Veggie Smoothies. Thanks for hosting!
Audrey
Thanks for the support, I can't wait to check it out! We are here every week, so please come back.
Easy Peasy
How interesting! We have never tried Vegemite. It sounds like it would be fun to try out and the sandwich looks great! Thanks for sharing on the Healthy Living Link Party 🙂
Audrey
I believe in trying new foods, when you can afford to. I admit this is a bit pricey to just try it on toast. But you can use it to increase the umami in everything from soups, to burgers to pasta sauce.
Erlene
I've seen vegemite before, but haven't tried it yet. Others that tried it didn't like it, so I never picked it up. I'm thinking maybe they spread it on too thick. Now I'm curious to try it.
Ali @ Home Crafts by Ali
I've heard of Vegemite before, but never tried it. Really though, I'm game for anything with avocado, so I might get some to try your sandwich recipe. Thanks for linking up at the Bloggers Brags party, I pinned your post to our group board.