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there are no words for how much I utterly loathe that stuff.
(I'm from the UK too)
what is marmite?
Marmite is the rendered, concentrated brewers yeast left over from beer making.
When the beer is done and siphoned off, the slag in the bottom of the tank is cleaned out and shipped off to be turned into Marmite.
The product has been around since the very early 20th Century. The name, "Marmite," actually comes from the shape of the original terra cotta container, a tubby, squat crock. The originals were from France, and in French they are known as "marmites" (mar-meet). But the Brits pronounce it (mar-myte).
It was highly regarded during WWI, and was given to wounded soldiers to speed their recovery. Being brewers yeast, it is full of trace minerals, niacin and B vitamins. It is highly regarded as a nutritional supplement and is, quite honestly, a genuine phenomenon in Britain.
It is very concentrated, salty and rather bitter. It is the consistency of treacle (tar), and a very dark, reddish brown in color.
It tastes salty, bitter, pungent, meaty... well, I cannot describe it properly. If you've heard of "Vegemite," it is the same thing.
Most people spread it on toast with butter for breakfast, with boiled egg alongside. It is also added to cheese sandwiches (sarnies).
In Britain it has a very devout following of admirers and an equally strident number of detractors. The company, in fact, has capitalized on this with their, "LOVE IT OR HATE IT" marketing campaigns. I love it, and eat a lot of it. Others think it is bollocks, unfit for even animals.
Marmite - love it or hate it!
