'So, who has tried Vegemite yet? We want five volunteers. The first one to eat a whole piece of toast wins...and just to make it more difficult we've smothered the toast with abnormal amounts of the stuff.'
Sooo...Vegemite. The Australians are obsessed with it. They eat it for breakfast, lunch, dinner, as a snack and also as an infamous hangover cure. It is Australia..apparently.
However, in the UK we have an alternative 'love it or hate it'..yes, its Marmite. And personally I love it. You think Vegemite is strong and salty? Try the original. Its sticky, salty and sooo soooooo strong. It would definitely beat Veg in a crazy Harry Hill fight (the brits know what I'm talking about). How can I not be patriotic and not stick up for the yeasty original?
On the other hand the Aussie's are so protective of their Veg that I have been threatened with expulsion from my own flat by my own Aussie flatmates if I ever brought back a jar of its rival. After buying a very expensive tiny jar of UK produced Bovril (Marmite's cousin) the boys hands down refused to try even a bite. Perhaps I must conclude that even if Marmite was created first and is definitely a UK thing, the Australian version is a lot more popular and forms another part of the stereotypical Aussie character..much like scones and jam do for England. Who really thinks of Marmite as a national attribute for the UK?
Similar international food rivalry includes Weet-bix vs Weetabix and Timtams vs Penguins. Unfortunately Australia wins on both accounts, no arguing. Weetabix was copied by the UK from Aus and Penguins are tasteless cardboard rectangles compared to Timtams which are so good they literally make you drool. Timtams have so many varieties I cannot even count them, ranging from the tasty original to the delicious double-choc caramel Sweet Dreams or Turkish Delight. What do Penguins have? Last time I looked pictures of penguins on the front playing different sports. Nice.
So, it is with my regrettable displeasure that I have to announce that Australia wins this food contest. However, Even with its Kangaroo bangers it will never beat the UK's roast dinner, fish n chips or homemade scones, cream and jam.
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