Customer Reviews

Marmite 250g 2-Pack

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Marmite is an aquired taste. It's a slightly salty yeasty spread you can use on toast or as a sandwich. It's supposed to be good for you, but most people eat it just because they like how it tastes.

Marmite isn't easy to find in the U.S, but you can get it in larger "health food" type chains like Sun Harvest Farms and Whole Foods Market where they charge about $5.00 for a 125g jar. One would consider what is charged for shipping as well as product price when deciding whether or not ordering Marmite online is a value.

Having lived in the US all of my life (although I have traveled quite a bit) I had never heard of Marmite until last week. I've been participating in an on-line, UK based think-tank dealing with international brands and digital advertising. As we discussed products that we grew up with and are still loyal to Marmite came up several times. I looked at some Marmite ads (the British call them "adverts"), and then searched for it on Amazon. Being a dedicated foodie I decided to give it a shot. Here is my impression:

When I first opened the glass jar and gave it a whiff it seemed oddly familiar. I put just a dab on my spoon and tasted it straight. Again, strangely familiar. The taste was very strong, almost condensed. I could taste the beer-like yeast but I was also getting a savory, deep vegetable flavor. Then it hit me.

I love to make sauces and I often use pre-made glaces and demi-glaces which have a very thick consistency when gently heated (before heating they are almost solid). They come in many different varieties: beef; duck; veal; chicken; lamb; seafood; mushroom; vegetable; etc. Marmite has a strong resemblance to a straight, undiluted, vegetable glace. Pungent, earthy and with that quality that the Japanese refer to as "Umami". WOW! Who knew? Well, I guess a lot of people did but it was new to me. Now, what to do with it...

My on-line British friends gave me some sage advice: use it sparingly and on some sort of bread with butter. I bought some fresh English Muffin bread from a local artisan bakery shop, lightly toasted it, coated it thinly with about 2/3 teaspoon of Marmite and spread some salted Vermont cultured butter onto it. HEAVEN! The Marmite balanced out the heaviness of the butter perfectly. That gave me the inspiration for my next test. I've alway loved a toasted bagel with cream cheese or Marscapone but need something to cut the palate-coating fat of the cheese besides a slice of onion (lox works well if you have it). Marmite fit the bill technically, but I think that I will have to get used to the combination. Still, I will keep using it here for a while and I think that it might become a favorite for me.

Next I tried it in a simple sauce. I browned a tablespoon of finely chopped shallots in 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter (who am I kidding? I used 2 tablespoons of butter). After the shallots were browned I added 3 tablespoons of Marite and 1 teaspoon of water. I reduced it a little and added 1/3 cup of heavy cream, a small bouquet garnet in cheesecloth and 1 tablespoon of dry sherry. I reduced it by about half and adjusted the strength by adding more Marmite (I needed more, maybe I should have used less cream). When finished it tasted really good, not great but it could certainly WOW most people. Put this on fish, chicken, turkey, or any light meat or veggie and it works.

Marmite has an advertising campaign that tells people that they will either love it or hate it. I am definitely in the love camp.

I'm not certain a taste for Marmite can be acquired. You may have to grow up with it. Not only is it good (spread thinly) on bread and toast, but it is a wonderful savory flavoring for soups and stews. It can also be dissolved in hot water for an enjoyable drink. Once appreciated, it is difficult to live without, and, fortunately, I can find the small jars quite easily and only wish people would stock the larger ones.

I was actually trying to find Vegemite, just out of curiosity. Apparently it's not available in the US, and during my searches I found that Marmite, the British equivalent of the Aussie Vegemite, was available. By equivalent, I mean they are both made from yeast extract. I don't know if they taste the same. Now I ordered and received two 125 gram jars. I'm nearly finished the 2nd jar. The simplest way to eat it is to spread a THIN layer on buttered toast. If you like salty snacks, you might like it. If you don't like salt, run, don't walk from this product. I happen to love salt. Pretzels, potato chips, crackers, etc. without salt have no flavor to me. Personally, I think 2 slices of buttered toast with Marmite is a great way to start the day! I WILL be ordering more soon.

I have never been outside the U.S. and I don't think I have a bit of British or Australian blood in me, but I love both Marmite and Vegemite, and get both of them at World Market (formerly known as Cost Plus World Market) for about $5.00 a jar. Marmite is more syrupy and salty than Vegemite / Vegemite is more solid and less salty (but still quite salty) than Marmite. VEGANS TAKE NOTE : both are good sources of vegan B vitamins, but Vegemite lacks the crucial B12 and Marmite HAS B12.

YOU EITHER LOVE THIS STUFF ON TOAST OR ADDED TO SOUPS AND STEWS OR YOU DO NOT. I WOULD HOPE FOLKS HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND GIVE THIS GREAT CONDIMENT A TRY!! IT IS GREAT AND VERSITLE IN COOKING YOU WILL LIKE THIS PRODUCT AS MILLIONS ACROSS THE WORLD ALREADY DO!!

I've seen some people compare this to soya sauce, I would say it's savoury sort of like soya sauce but I can't say it tastes anything like soya sauce. Delicious and nutritious when spread thinly on toast. There's a Marmite cookbook on Amazon that gives you many ideas for cooking with Marmite. It also has some funny and entertaining info and comments from famous people. In short, you either love or hate Marmite, there's no in between. If you liked it as a child you will always love it, I suppose it's harder for people introduced to the taste later in life to take a liking to it.

I first heard of Marmite when a contestant on Top Chef years ago used it in a dish to great acclaim from the judges. I love all things Umami and so gave it a try. Despite hearing that "it's an acquired taste" and "you need to grow up on it," I loved Marmite immediately--in my 30s, and I'm not British! I'm not sure why it gets the bad reputation. Yes, it is salty, intense and concentrated. So you're supposed to use it sparingly! It adds richness and a flavor punch to toast and sandwiches. It's really good on buttered toast with mashed avocado--perfect balance of fat and salt. There's a bit of a tang to it. It's also great in a grilled cheese. Hell, I lick the spoon after I use it... Addictive. Only con: watch the sodium intake. It's the only thing keeping me from eating loads of it.

Bottles arrived on time and in good condition. Marmite is a love it or hate it affair. If you have lived in the UK or Australia, you would have come across it. I have it on toast with butter, but it's also good as a drink (tastes like strong soup stock) or for use in dishes with mushrooms because it has that dark, earthy flavour.

Most folks, even British, hate it. I eat it on crackers or toast. It tastes like a bitter salty spread made from beef boulon cubes.