Marmite is the name given to two similar
food spreadsA spread is a food that is spread with a knife onto bread, crackers, or other bread products. Spreads are added to bread products to provide flavor and texture, and are an integral part of the dish, i.e. they should be distinguished from condiments, which are optional additions...
: the original British version, first produced in the United Kingdom and later South Africa, and a version produced in New Zealand. Marmite is made from
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
, a
by-productA by-product is a secondary product derived from a manufacturing process or chemical reaction. It is not the primary product or service being produced.A by-product can be useful and marketable or it can be considered waste....
of beer brewing.
The British version of the product is a sticky, dark brown paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty and savoury. This distinctive taste is reflected in the British company's marketing slogan:
"Love it or hate it." Other similar products are the Australian
VegemiteVegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
and the Swiss
CenovisCenovis is a product based on yeast extract similar to Marmite and Vegemite, rich in vitamin B1. In the form of a dark brown food paste, it is used to flavour soups, sausages, and salads. The most popular way to consume Cenovis is however to spread it on a slice of buttered bread, as stated on the...
.
The distinctive product was originally British, but a version with a different flavour has been manufactured in New Zealand since 1919, and this is the dominant version in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
The image on the front of the British jar shows a "
marmiteA marmite is a traditional crockery casserole dish found in France and is famed for its pot-belly shape.According to Louis Saulnier, in his Le Répertoire de la Cuisine, a marmite "Firstly, is a stock pot. Secondly, a French pot with lid similar to a casserole with two finger-grips on each side." ...
" (maʁmit), a French term for a large, covered earthenware or metal cooking pot. The British Marmite was originally supplied in
earthenwareEarthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
pots, but since the 1920s has been sold in glass jars that approximate the shape of such pots. A thinner version in squeezable plastic jars was introduced in March 2006.
History
The product that was to become Marmite was invented in the late 19th Century when German scientist
Justus von LiebigJustus von Liebig was a German chemist who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and worked on the organization of organic chemistry. As a professor, he devised the modern laboratory-oriented teaching method, and for such innovations, he is regarded as one of the...
discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten. In 1902 The Marmite Food Extract Company was formed in
Burton upon TrentBurton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
, Staffordshire, England by the Gilmour family, with Marmite as its main product and Burton as the site of the first factory. The product took its name from the "
marmiteA marmite is a traditional crockery casserole dish found in France and is famed for its pot-belly shape.According to Louis Saulnier, in his Le Répertoire de la Cuisine, a marmite "Firstly, is a stock pot. Secondly, a French pot with lid similar to a casserole with two finger-grips on each side." ...
" (maʁmit), a French term for a large, covered earthenware or metal cooking pot. The British Marmite was originally supplied in
earthenwareEarthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
pots, but since the 1920s has primarily been sold in glass jars that approximate the shape of such pots. The labels of the UK product still carry the image of a marmite. The by-product yeast needed for the paste was supplied by Bass Brewery. By 1907, the product had become successful enough to warrant construction of a second factory at
Camberwell GreenCamberwell Green is a small area of common land in Camberwell, South London. It lies at the intersection of Camberwell Road and Camberwell New Road/Camberwell Church Street. At the North-East of the green is Camberwell Magistrate's Court, and at the North West is a home for the elderly...
in London.
The product's popularity prompted the
Sanitarium Health Food CompanyThe Sanitarium Health & Wellbeing Company is the trading name of two sister food companies . Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church....
to obtain sole rights to distribute the product in New Zealand and Australia in 1908. They later began manufacturing Marmite under licence in
ChristchurchChristchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, albeit using a modified version of the original recipe, most notable for its inclusion of sugar and caramel. Common ingredients are also present in slightly different quantities from the British version; the New Zealand version has high levels of potassium, for example. New Zealand Marmite is described as having a "weaker" or "less tangy" flavour than the British version. It is distributed throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
During
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
British troops were issued with Marmite as part of their rations.
In 1990, Marmite Limited—which had become a subsidiary of
BovrilBovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty meat extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston and sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, owned and distributed by Unilever UK....
Limited—was bought by
CPC International IncHellmann's and Best Foods are brand names that are used for the same line of mayonnaise and other food products. The Hellmann's brand is sold in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and also in Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Canada...
, which changed its name to
Best Foods IncHellmann's and Best Foods are brand names that are used for the same line of mayonnaise and other food products. The Hellmann's brand is sold in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and also in Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Canada...
in 1998. Best Foods Inc subsequently merged with
UnileverUnilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
in 2000, and Marmite is now a trademark owned by
UnileverUnilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
.
Similar products
There are a number of similar yeast products available in other countries, which are not directly connected to the original Marmite recipe and brand. The most well known in English-speaking countries is the Australian product
VegemiteVegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
which is also distributed in many countries. Other products are
CenovisCenovis is a product based on yeast extract similar to Marmite and Vegemite, rich in vitamin B1. In the form of a dark brown food paste, it is used to flavour soups, sausages, and salads. The most popular way to consume Cenovis is however to spread it on a slice of buttered bread, as stated on the...
, a
SwissSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
spread and from 1913, "Vegex" has been available in the USA, it is a similar autolyzed yeast product. It is sold by CEA, a not-for-profit organisation.
Use
Initially, Marmite was popular with vegetarians as a meat-free alternative to
beef extractMeat extract is highly concentrated meat stock, usually made from beef. It is used to add meat flavor in cooking, and to make broth for drinking....
products such as
BovrilBovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty meat extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston and sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, owned and distributed by Unilever UK....
, which were popular in the late 19th and early 20th century.
Marmite is traditionally eaten as a savoury spread on bread,
toastToast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
, savoury
biscuitA biscuit is a baked, edible, and commonly flour-based product. The term is used to apply to two distinctly different products in North America and the Commonwealth Nations....
s (
crackerA cracker is a baked good commonly made from grain flour dough and typically made in quantity in various hand-sized or smaller shapes. Flavorings or seasonings, such as salt, herbs, seeds, and/or cheese, may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top before baking...
s in US usage), and other similar baked products. Owing to its concentrated taste it is usually spread thinly with butter or margarine. Marmite can also be made into a winter drink by adding one teaspoon to a mug of hot water much like
BovrilBovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty meat extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston and sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, owned and distributed by Unilever UK....
.
In 2003, the Absolute Press published Paul Hartley's
The Marmite Cookbook, containing recipes and suggestions on how to blend Marmite with other foodstuffs.
Marmite also works well with cheese (such as in a
cheese sandwichA cheese sandwich is a basic sandwich made generally with one or more slices of any kind of cheese on any sort of bread. In addition to the cheese, it may also include pepperoni, lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, pickles and/or condiments such as mustard or mayonnaise...
) and has been used as an additional flavouring in
Mini CheddarsCheddars are a brand of baked Cheddar cheese-flavoured British-style savoury biscuits, having a granular crumbly texture unlike crackers which are harder, more brittle and flaky in texture. They are manufactured by McVitie's as an alternative to other snack foods such as fried potato crisps. They...
, a cheese-flavoured biscuit snack. Similarly, it has been used by
Walkers CrispsWalkers is a British snack food manufacturer operating mainly in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and to a lesser extent on the European continent. They are best known for manufacturing crisps. They hold 47 per cent of the British crisp market...
for a special-edition flavour and has introduced, with local Dorset bakery Fudges, Marmite Biscuits in the UK.
StarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
UK has a cheese and Marmite Panini on their menu.
In New Zealand, Sanitarium, the NZ Marmite company recommends spreading it on bread with potato crisps added to make a "Marmite and Chip" or "Crisps and Marmite" sandwich. In Singapore and Malaysia, Marmite is popularly added to plain rice
congeeCongee is a type of rice porridge popular in many Asian countries. It can be eaten alone or served with a side dish. Names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation...
to give it a strong, tasty flavour.
In August 2006, as part of the launch of squeezy Marmite, celebrity chef
Gary RhodesGary Rhodes OBE is an English restaurateur, cookery writer, and chef, known for his love of British cuisine and distinctive spiked hair style ....
created a dessert consisting of coffee ice cream topped with chocolate sauce with a dash of Marmite. It was served for one week only in his London restaurant.
Manufacture
While the process is secret, the general method for making yeast extract on a commercial scale is to add salt to a suspension of yeast, making the solution hypertonic, which leads to the cells shrivelling up; this triggers "autolysis", in which the yeast self-destructs. The dying yeast cells are then heated to complete their breakdown, and since yeast cells have thick hull walls which would detract from the smoothness of the end product, the husks are sieved out. As with other
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
s, Marmite contains free
glutamic acidGlutamic acid and its ions and salts, called glutamates, are flavor-enhancing compounds which provide an umami taste to food. Glutamic acid is a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods, including soy sauce, fermented bean paste, and cheese, and is also a component of hydrolyzed protein...
s, which are analogous to
monosodium glutamateMonosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids....
(MSG).
Today, the main ingredients of Marmite manufactured in the UK are
glutamic acidGlutamic acid and its ions and salts, called glutamates, are flavor-enhancing compounds which provide an umami taste to food. Glutamic acid is a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods, including soy sauce, fermented bean paste, and cheese, and is also a component of hydrolyzed protein...
-rich
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
, with lesser quantities of
sodium chlorideSodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
(table salt), vegetable extract,
niacin"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
,
thiamineThiamine or thiamin or vitamin B1 , named as the "thio-vitamine" is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name vitamin B1. Its phosphate derivatives are...
, spice extracts,
riboflavinRiboflavin, also known as vitamin B2 or additive E101, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B2 is required for a...
,
folic acidFolic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
, and celery extracts, although the precise composition is a
trade secretA trade secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information which is not generally known or reasonably ascertainable, by which a business can obtain an economic advantage over competitors or customers...
. By 1912, the discovery of vitamins was a boost for Marmite, as the spread is a rich source of the vitamin B complex;
vitamin B12Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...
is not naturally found in yeast extract, but is added to Marmite during manufacture. With the
vitamin B1Thiamine or thiamin or vitamin B1 , named as the "thio-vitamine" is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name vitamin B1. Its phosphate derivatives are...
deficiency beri-beri being common during the First World War, the spread became more popular.
Nutritional information
In the 1930s, Marmite was used by the English scientist
Lucy WillsLucy Wills, MA , LRCP, MB BS was a leading English haematologist. She conducted seminal work in India in the late 1920s and early 1930s on macrocytic anaemia of pregnancy. Her observations led to her discovery of a nutritional factor in yeast which both prevents and cures this disorder...
to identify
folic acidFolic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
and its effect in suppressing anaemia. Besides folic acid (Vitamin B
9) Marmite has useful quantities of several other vitamins, even in small servings. The sodium (salt) content of the spread is high and has caused concern, but the amount per serving, not the percentage in bulk Marmite, is the significant factor. The main ingredient of Marmite is
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
, which contains a high concentration of
glutamic acidGlutamic acid and its ions and salts, called glutamates, are flavor-enhancing compounds which provide an umami taste to food. Glutamic acid is a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods, including soy sauce, fermented bean paste, and cheese, and is also a component of hydrolyzed protein...
, a known
excitotoxinExcitotoxicity is the pathological process by which nerve cells are damaged and killed by excessive stimulation by neurotransmitters such as glutamate and similar substances. This occurs when receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate such as the NMDA receptor and AMPA receptor are...
.
Marmite made in the United Kingdom is gluten-free.
British & New Zealand Marmite
| UK Marmite | per 100 g | | per 4 g serving |
NZ Marmite | per 100 g | | per 5 g serving |
| Energy |
983 kJ The joule ; symbol J) is a derived unit of energy or work in the International System of Units. It is equal to the energy expended in applying a force of one newton through a distance of one metre , or in passing an electric current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm for one second...
|
39 kJ |
|
Energy |
680 kJ |
34 kJ |
|
| Calories |
231 kcal The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
|
9 kcal |
Calories |
163 kcal |
8 kcal |
| Protein Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
|
38.4 g |
1.5 g |
Protein |
16.2 g |
0.8 g |
| Carbohydrates |
19.2 g |
0.8 g |
Carbohydrates |
16.6 g |
0.8 g |
| of which sugars |
0.5 g |
trace |
sugars |
11.8 g |
0.6 g |
| Fat |
0.1 g |
nil |
Fat |
0.9 g |
0.1 g |
of which saturatesSaturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. That is, the chain of carbon atoms is fully "saturated" with hydrogen atoms...
|
trace |
nil |
|
|
|
| Fibre |
3.1 g |
0.1 g |
Fibre |
11.5 g |
0.58 g |
| Sodium In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
|
3.9 g |
0.2 g |
Sodium |
3.4 g |
0.17 g |
| Salt |
11 g |
0.44 g |
PotassiumPotassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
|
1.95 g |
0.098 g |
| | % RDA |
| % RDI |
| Thiamin |
5.8 mg |
0.23 mg |
17% |
Thiamin |
11.0 mg |
0.55 mg |
50% |
RiboflavinRiboflavin, also known as vitamin B2 or additive E101, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B2 is required for a...
|
7.0 mg |
0.28 mg |
18% |
Riboflavin |
8.4 mg |
0.4 mg |
25% |
Niacin"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
|
160.0 mg |
6.4 mg |
36% |
Niacin |
50.0 mg |
2.5 mg |
25% |
Folic AcidFolic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
|
2500 µg |
100 µg |
50% |
Folate |
2000 µg |
100 µg |
50% |
| Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...
|
15.0 µg |
0.6 µg |
40% |
Vitamin B12 |
10.0 µg |
0.5 µg |
25% |
| |
|
|
|
Iron |
36.0 mg |
1.8 mg |
15% |
RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance
Suggested serving 4g for adults, 2 g for children
Children's serve has ½ of the adult quantities shown. |
RDI = Recommended Daily Intake |
British marketing and packaging
Marmite's publicity campaigns initially emphasised the spread's healthy nature, extolling it as "
The growing up spread you never grow out of." During the 1980s, the spread was advertised with the slogan "
My mate, Marmite", chanted in television commercials by an army platoon. (The spread had been a standard vitamin supplement for British-based German
POWA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s during the Second World War.)
A 2004 UK TV advert, which parodied the 1958 Steve McQueen film
The BlobThe Blob is an independently made 1958 American horror/science-fiction film that depicts a giant amoeba-like alien that terrorizes the small community of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania...
, substituting Marmite for the original alien space menace and including scenes of fleeing crowds, was dropped from children's television after concerned parents reported that their children had been scared by the adverts and had nightmares after viewing them.
In 2006, a new "squeezy" jar of Marmite was released. The container is made of flexible plastic which can be squeezed to dispense the product. When first launched, the "Marmite" logo was replaced by the words "Squeeze me".
Paddington BearPaddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum....
featured in the Marmite UK TV advertisement (broadcast on 13 September 2007); in which he tries a Marmite and cheese sandwich instead of his traditional
marmaladeMarmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits, boiled with sugar and water. The benchmark citrus fruit for marmalade production in Britain is the "Seville orange" from Spain, Citrus aurantium var...
sandwich. When he offers the sandwiches to other characters, he gets mixed and often dramatic reactions.
On 8 March 2010 a new version of the product was launched, Marmite XO, "XO" mimicking a grade of brandy known as
Extra Old. Quotes from back of the jar include 'Marmite XO Extra Old' and 'Using four specially selected yeast sources, our master blender has crafted the secret Marmite recipe and matured it four times longer to create a Marmite so strong and full bodied it can only be for the most devoted of lovers'.
Marmite effect
By the 1990s, another aspect entered the company's marketing efforts; Marmite's distinctive and powerful flavour had earned it as many detractors as it had fans, and it was commonly notorious for producing a polarised "love/hate" reaction amongst consumers. Modern advertisements play on this, and Marmite runs a dual skinned website with two URLs;
I Love Marmite and
I Hate Marmite, where people may share their experiences of Marmite and are actively encouraged to fuel this debate, as prompted by the I Hate Marmite
registration form. This resulted in the coining of the phrase "Marmite effect" or "Marmite reaction" for anything which provokes such strong and polarised feelings.
On 22 April 2010, Unilever threatened legal action against the
British National PartyThe British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
(BNP) for using a jar of Marmite and the "love it or hate it" slogan in their television adverts.
Many
BrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
residents use the phrase "That's proper Marmite" to show that something may be taken the wrong way or maybe isn't the best idea. One example of this is Riziki Millanzi in the interview about
Crystal Palace- United Kingdom :* The Crystal Palace, an 1851 building in south London destroyed by fire in 1936** The Great Exhibition, the event the building was built for, sometimes also known as Crystal Palace...
coming to play Brighton and Hove Albion in
Falmer StadiumFalmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium, or The Amex, is a football stadium near the village of Falmer in Brighton and Hove and is the home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.. The stadium was handed over from the developers to the club on 31 May 2011...
which was published in
The ArgusThe name Argus, after the mythological all-seeing giant Argus Panoptes, is a popular name for newspapers, alluding to their investigative and reporting prowess...
.
Availability worldwide
Marmite is available in most food stores in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand,
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and South Africa, and generally most parts of the
Commonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
like
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia, and Canada.
In the United States, UK marmite can also be purchased in most CUB food stores, the international aisle of
KrogerThe Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
supermarkets, and some
QFCQuality Food Centers is a supermarket chain based in Bellevue, Washington, with over 75 stores in the Puget Sound region of Washington state and in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.-History:...
supermarkets, where it is found in the baking section.
Marmite purchased in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands is New Zealand Marmite, which has its own distinctive taste.
UK Marmite is available in Australia in the 125g size from several small imported food stores.
There is also an imported version called
Our Mate which is produced and exported by Unilever's UK & Ireland export division (Unilever UK & Ireland Export). These are also sold in the 125g size and are produced in Burton on Trent. The label states "Made in the UK by Unilever UK." Australia's national distributor Manassen Foods works with Unilever UK & Ireland Export to sell
Our Mate (Marmite) in Australia and New Zealand.
Marmite is also available to a lesser extent in other countries, mostly in specialist and health shops.
In
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, food safety legislation dictates that foodstuffs which contain added vitamins can only be sold by retailers which have been licensed by the Veterinary and Food Administration. In May 2011, the company which imports the product to Denmark revealed that it wasn't licensed and had therefore stopped selling the product: this led to widespread but inaccurate reports in the British media that Marmite had been banned by the Danish authorities.
Special editions
In 2002 a 100th anniversary jar was released.
In February 2007 Marmite produced a limited edition
GuinnessGuinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
Marmite of 300,000 250g jars of their yeast extract with 30% Guinness yeast. The Guinness Marmite has a more subtle and smoother taste. Although it is alcohol free, it still retains a noticeable hint of "Guinness" flavour. Its consistency is slightly more serious than the normal Marmite.
In January 2008 a new special edition, Champagne Marmite, was released for
Valentine's DaySaint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
2008. The limited-edition run of 600,000 units was initially released exclusively to
SelfridgesSelfridges, AKA Selfridges & Co, is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909.More recently, three other stores have been...
of London, then across the UK, from 21 January. With 0.3% champagne added to the recipe, the spread is effectively non-alcoholic, but does have a sweeter smell than the regular spread, a slightly lighter hue, and, like the Guinness edition, a runnier consistency than usual. The special edition also has a modified label in the shape of a heart with "I love you" instead of the regular Marmite logo, and is decorated with italic writing and cherubs. The lid has also been made a golden colour to match the label, and altered to emulate a champagne bottle. A new touch to the jar is a space on the back to write in the name of one's valentine onto the jar.
In 2009, a limited edition Marston's Pedigree Marmite was launched to celebrate the
2009 Ashes Cricket test seriesThe 2009 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing and storied cricket rivalry between England and Australia, and was part of the Australian cricket tour of England in 2009. Starting on 8 July 2009, England and Australia played five Tests, with England winning the series 2–1...
.
In March 2010, Unilever released a specially-brewed extra-strong version of the spread called "Marmite XO".
Jar varieties
- Marmite 125g
- Marmite 250g
- Marmite 500g
- Marmite 600g – (Catering size, in a plastic tub rather than the normal glass jar)
- Marmite Love portions (6 x 8g) – (sold individually in some cafés)
- Marmite Squeeze 200g
- Marmite Big Squeeze 400g
- Limited Edition Guinness Marmite 250g – white lid, white label, dark brown jar
- Limited Edition Champagne Marmite 250g – yellow lid, yellow label, dark brown jar
- Limited Edition Marston's Pedigree 250g – browny-gold lid, browny- gold label, dark red jar
- Marmite XO 250g – black lid, black label, dark brown jar
Snacks
- Marmite Flavour Breadsticks 30g packets – [Paper Box]
- Marmite Flavour Rice Cakes 30g packets (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Breadsticks 30g (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Rice Cakes 30g (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Crisps 25g (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Cheddar Circle Bites
- Marmite Oven Baked Cashew Nuts
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
(Black)
- Marmite Flavour Cheddar Cheese (Black)
- Marmite Very Peculiar Milk Chocolate (Black)
Marmite and mosquitoes
British travellers to tropical locations sometimes take Marmite with them to eat during the trip, although it has been shown that the B vitamin complex does not repel mosquitoes.
{{for|French casserole pot|Marmite (cooking dish)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2011}}
Marmite (icon {{respell|MAR|myt}}) is the name given to two similar
food spreadsA spread is a food that is spread with a knife onto bread, crackers, or other bread products. Spreads are added to bread products to provide flavor and texture, and are an integral part of the dish, i.e. they should be distinguished from condiments, which are optional additions...
: the original British version, first produced in the United Kingdom and later South Africa, and a version produced in New Zealand. Marmite is made from
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
, a
by-productA by-product is a secondary product derived from a manufacturing process or chemical reaction. It is not the primary product or service being produced.A by-product can be useful and marketable or it can be considered waste....
of beer brewing.
The British version of the product is a sticky, dark brown paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty and savoury. This distinctive taste is reflected in the British company's marketing slogan:
"Love it or hate it." Other similar products are the Australian
VegemiteVegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
and the Swiss
CenovisCenovis is a product based on yeast extract similar to Marmite and Vegemite, rich in vitamin B1. In the form of a dark brown food paste, it is used to flavour soups, sausages, and salads. The most popular way to consume Cenovis is however to spread it on a slice of buttered bread, as stated on the...
.
The distinctive product was originally British, but a version with a different flavour has been manufactured in New Zealand since 1919, and this is the dominant version in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
The image on the front of the British jar shows a "
marmiteA marmite is a traditional crockery casserole dish found in France and is famed for its pot-belly shape.According to Louis Saulnier, in his Le Répertoire de la Cuisine, a marmite "Firstly, is a stock pot. Secondly, a French pot with lid similar to a casserole with two finger-grips on each side." ...
" (maʁmit), a French term for a large, covered earthenware or metal cooking pot. The British Marmite was originally supplied in
earthenwareEarthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
pots, but since the 1920s has been sold in glass jars that approximate the shape of such pots. A thinner version in squeezable plastic jars was introduced in March 2006.
History
The product that was to become Marmite was invented in the late 19th Century when German scientist
Justus von LiebigJustus von Liebig was a German chemist who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and worked on the organization of organic chemistry. As a professor, he devised the modern laboratory-oriented teaching method, and for such innovations, he is regarded as one of the...
discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten. In 1902 The Marmite Food Extract Company was formed in
Burton upon TrentBurton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
, Staffordshire, England by the Gilmour family, with Marmite as its main product and Burton as the site of the first factory. The product took its name from the "
marmiteA marmite is a traditional crockery casserole dish found in France and is famed for its pot-belly shape.According to Louis Saulnier, in his Le Répertoire de la Cuisine, a marmite "Firstly, is a stock pot. Secondly, a French pot with lid similar to a casserole with two finger-grips on each side." ...
" (maʁmit), a French term for a large, covered earthenware or metal cooking pot. The British Marmite was originally supplied in
earthenwareEarthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
pots, but since the 1920s has primarily been sold in glass jars that approximate the shape of such pots. The labels of the UK product still carry the image of a marmite. The by-product yeast needed for the paste was supplied by Bass Brewery. By 1907, the product had become successful enough to warrant construction of a second factory at
Camberwell GreenCamberwell Green is a small area of common land in Camberwell, South London. It lies at the intersection of Camberwell Road and Camberwell New Road/Camberwell Church Street. At the North-East of the green is Camberwell Magistrate's Court, and at the North West is a home for the elderly...
in London.
The product's popularity prompted the
Sanitarium Health Food CompanyThe Sanitarium Health & Wellbeing Company is the trading name of two sister food companies . Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church....
to obtain sole rights to distribute the product in New Zealand and Australia in 1908. They later began manufacturing Marmite under licence in
ChristchurchChristchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, albeit using a modified version of the original recipe, most notable for its inclusion of sugar and caramel. Common ingredients are also present in slightly different quantities from the British version; the New Zealand version has high levels of potassium, for example. New Zealand Marmite is described as having a "weaker" or "less tangy" flavour than the British version. It is distributed throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
During
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
British troops were issued with Marmite as part of their rations.
In 1990, Marmite Limited—which had become a subsidiary of
BovrilBovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty meat extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston and sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, owned and distributed by Unilever UK....
Limited—was bought by
CPC International IncHellmann's and Best Foods are brand names that are used for the same line of mayonnaise and other food products. The Hellmann's brand is sold in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and also in Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Canada...
, which changed its name to
Best Foods IncHellmann's and Best Foods are brand names that are used for the same line of mayonnaise and other food products. The Hellmann's brand is sold in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and also in Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Canada...
in 1998. Best Foods Inc subsequently merged with
UnileverUnilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
in 2000, and Marmite is now a trademark owned by
UnileverUnilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
.{{citation needed|date=October 2011}}
Similar products
There are a number of similar yeast products available in other countries, which are not directly connected to the original Marmite recipe and brand. The most well known in English-speaking countries is the Australian product
VegemiteVegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
which is also distributed in many countries. Other products are
CenovisCenovis is a product based on yeast extract similar to Marmite and Vegemite, rich in vitamin B1. In the form of a dark brown food paste, it is used to flavour soups, sausages, and salads. The most popular way to consume Cenovis is however to spread it on a slice of buttered bread, as stated on the...
, a
SwissSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
spread and from 1913, "Vegex" has been available in the USA, it is a similar autolyzed yeast product. It is sold by CEA, a not-for-profit organisation.
Use
Initially, Marmite was popular with vegetarians as a meat-free alternative to
beef extractMeat extract is highly concentrated meat stock, usually made from beef. It is used to add meat flavor in cooking, and to make broth for drinking....
products such as
BovrilBovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty meat extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston and sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, owned and distributed by Unilever UK....
, which were popular in the late 19th and early 20th century.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}
Marmite is traditionally eaten as a savoury spread on bread,
toastToast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
, savoury
biscuitA biscuit is a baked, edible, and commonly flour-based product. The term is used to apply to two distinctly different products in North America and the Commonwealth Nations....
s (
crackerA cracker is a baked good commonly made from grain flour dough and typically made in quantity in various hand-sized or smaller shapes. Flavorings or seasonings, such as salt, herbs, seeds, and/or cheese, may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top before baking...
s in US usage), and other similar baked products. Owing to its concentrated taste it is usually spread thinly with butter or margarine. Marmite can also be made into a winter drink by adding one teaspoon to a mug of hot water much like
BovrilBovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty meat extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston and sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, owned and distributed by Unilever UK....
.
In 2003, the Absolute Press published Paul Hartley's
The Marmite Cookbook, containing recipes and suggestions on how to blend Marmite with other foodstuffs.
Marmite also works well with cheese (such as in a
cheese sandwichA cheese sandwich is a basic sandwich made generally with one or more slices of any kind of cheese on any sort of bread. In addition to the cheese, it may also include pepperoni, lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, pickles and/or condiments such as mustard or mayonnaise...
) and has been used as an additional flavouring in
Mini CheddarsCheddars are a brand of baked Cheddar cheese-flavoured British-style savoury biscuits, having a granular crumbly texture unlike crackers which are harder, more brittle and flaky in texture. They are manufactured by McVitie's as an alternative to other snack foods such as fried potato crisps. They...
, a cheese-flavoured biscuit snack. Similarly, it has been used by
Walkers CrispsWalkers is a British snack food manufacturer operating mainly in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and to a lesser extent on the European continent. They are best known for manufacturing crisps. They hold 47 per cent of the British crisp market...
for a special-edition flavour and has introduced, with local Dorset bakery Fudges, Marmite Biscuits in the UK.
StarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
UK has a cheese and Marmite Panini on their menu.
In New Zealand, Sanitarium, the NZ Marmite company recommends spreading it on bread with potato crisps added to make a "Marmite and Chip" or "Crisps and Marmite" sandwich. In Singapore and Malaysia, Marmite is popularly added to plain rice
congeeCongee is a type of rice porridge popular in many Asian countries. It can be eaten alone or served with a side dish. Names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation...
to give it a strong, tasty flavour.
In August 2006, as part of the launch of squeezy Marmite, celebrity chef
Gary RhodesGary Rhodes OBE is an English restaurateur, cookery writer, and chef, known for his love of British cuisine and distinctive spiked hair style ....
created a dessert consisting of coffee ice cream topped with chocolate sauce with a dash of Marmite. It was served for one week only in his London restaurant.
Manufacture
While the process is secret, the general method for making yeast extract on a commercial scale is to add salt to a suspension of yeast, making the solution hypertonic, which leads to the cells shrivelling up; this triggers "autolysis", in which the yeast self-destructs. The dying yeast cells are then heated to complete their breakdown, and since yeast cells have thick hull walls which would detract from the smoothness of the end product, the husks are sieved out. As with other
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
s, Marmite contains free
glutamic acidGlutamic acid and its ions and salts, called glutamates, are flavor-enhancing compounds which provide an umami taste to food. Glutamic acid is a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods, including soy sauce, fermented bean paste, and cheese, and is also a component of hydrolyzed protein...
s, which are analogous to
monosodium glutamateMonosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids....
(MSG).
Today, the main ingredients of Marmite manufactured in the UK are
glutamic acidGlutamic acid and its ions and salts, called glutamates, are flavor-enhancing compounds which provide an umami taste to food. Glutamic acid is a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods, including soy sauce, fermented bean paste, and cheese, and is also a component of hydrolyzed protein...
-rich
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
, with lesser quantities of
sodium chlorideSodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
(table salt), vegetable extract,
niacin"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
,
thiamineThiamine or thiamin or vitamin B1 , named as the "thio-vitamine" is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name vitamin B1. Its phosphate derivatives are...
, spice extracts,
riboflavinRiboflavin, also known as vitamin B2 or additive E101, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B2 is required for a...
,
folic acidFolic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
, and celery extracts, although the precise composition is a
trade secretA trade secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information which is not generally known or reasonably ascertainable, by which a business can obtain an economic advantage over competitors or customers...
. By 1912, the discovery of vitamins was a boost for Marmite, as the spread is a rich source of the vitamin B complex;
vitamin B12Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...
is not naturally found in yeast extract, but is added to Marmite during manufacture. With the
vitamin B1Thiamine or thiamin or vitamin B1 , named as the "thio-vitamine" is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name vitamin B1. Its phosphate derivatives are...
deficiency beri-beri being common during the First World War, the spread became more popular.
Nutritional information
In the 1930s, Marmite was used by the English scientist
Lucy WillsLucy Wills, MA , LRCP, MB BS was a leading English haematologist. She conducted seminal work in India in the late 1920s and early 1930s on macrocytic anaemia of pregnancy. Her observations led to her discovery of a nutritional factor in yeast which both prevents and cures this disorder...
to identify
folic acidFolic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
and its effect in suppressing anaemia. Besides folic acid (Vitamin B
9) Marmite has useful quantities of several other vitamins, even in small servings. The sodium (salt) content of the spread is high and has caused concern, but the amount per serving, not the percentage in bulk Marmite, is the significant factor. The main ingredient of Marmite is
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
, which contains a high concentration of
glutamic acidGlutamic acid and its ions and salts, called glutamates, are flavor-enhancing compounds which provide an umami taste to food. Glutamic acid is a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods, including soy sauce, fermented bean paste, and cheese, and is also a component of hydrolyzed protein...
, a known
excitotoxinExcitotoxicity is the pathological process by which nerve cells are damaged and killed by excessive stimulation by neurotransmitters such as glutamate and similar substances. This occurs when receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate such as the NMDA receptor and AMPA receptor are...
.
Marmite made in the United Kingdom is gluten-free.
British & New Zealand Marmite
| UK Marmite | per 100 g | | per 4 g serving |
NZ Marmite | per 100 g | | per 5 g serving |
| Energy |
983 kJ The joule ; symbol J) is a derived unit of energy or work in the International System of Units. It is equal to the energy expended in applying a force of one newton through a distance of one metre , or in passing an electric current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm for one second...
|
39 kJ |
|
Energy |
680 kJ |
34 kJ |
|
| Calories |
231 kcal The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
|
9 kcal |
Calories |
163 kcal |
8 kcal |
| Protein Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
|
38.4 g |
1.5 g |
Protein |
16.2 g |
0.8 g |
| Carbohydrates |
19.2 g |
0.8 g |
Carbohydrates |
16.6 g |
0.8 g |
| of which sugars |
0.5 g |
trace |
sugars |
11.8 g |
0.6 g |
| Fat |
0.1 g |
nil |
Fat |
0.9 g |
0.1 g |
of which saturatesSaturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. That is, the chain of carbon atoms is fully "saturated" with hydrogen atoms...
|
trace |
nil |
|
|
|
| Fibre |
3.1 g |
0.1 g |
Fibre |
11.5 g |
0.58 g |
| Sodium In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
|
3.9 g |
0.2 g |
Sodium |
3.4 g |
0.17 g |
| Salt |
11 g |
0.44 g |
PotassiumPotassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
|
1.95 g |
0.098 g |
| | % RDA |
| % RDI |
| Thiamin |
5.8 mg |
0.23 mg |
17% |
Thiamin |
11.0 mg |
0.55 mg |
50% |
RiboflavinRiboflavin, also known as vitamin B2 or additive E101, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B2 is required for a...
|
7.0 mg |
0.28 mg |
18% |
Riboflavin |
8.4 mg |
0.4 mg |
25% |
Niacin"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
|
160.0 mg |
6.4 mg |
36% |
Niacin |
50.0 mg |
2.5 mg |
25% |
Folic AcidFolic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
|
2500 µg |
100 µg |
50% |
Folate |
2000 µg |
100 µg |
50% |
| Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...
|
15.0 µg |
0.6 µg |
40% |
Vitamin B12 |
10.0 µg |
0.5 µg |
25% |
| |
|
|
|
Iron |
36.0 mg |
1.8 mg |
15% |
RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance
Suggested serving 4g for adults, 2 g for children
Children's serve has ½ of the adult quantities shown. |
RDI = Recommended Daily Intake |
British marketing and packaging
Marmite's publicity campaigns initially emphasised the spread's healthy nature, extolling it as "
The growing up spread you never grow out of." During the 1980s, the spread was advertised with the slogan "
My mate, Marmite", chanted in television commercials by an army platoon. (The spread had been a standard vitamin supplement for British-based German
POWA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s during the Second World War.)
A 2004 UK TV advert, which parodied the 1958 Steve McQueen film
The BlobThe Blob is an independently made 1958 American horror/science-fiction film that depicts a giant amoeba-like alien that terrorizes the small community of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania...
, substituting Marmite for the original alien space menace and including scenes of fleeing crowds, was dropped from children's television after concerned parents reported that their children had been scared by the adverts and had nightmares after viewing them.
In 2006, a new "squeezy" jar of Marmite was released. The container is made of flexible plastic which can be squeezed to dispense the product. When first launched, the "Marmite" logo was replaced by the words "Squeeze me".
Paddington BearPaddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum....
featured in the Marmite UK TV advertisement (broadcast on 13 September 2007); in which he tries a Marmite and cheese sandwich instead of his traditional
marmaladeMarmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits, boiled with sugar and water. The benchmark citrus fruit for marmalade production in Britain is the "Seville orange" from Spain, Citrus aurantium var...
sandwich. When he offers the sandwiches to other characters, he gets mixed and often dramatic reactions.
On 8 March 2010 a new version of the product was launched, Marmite XO, "XO" mimicking a grade of brandy known as
Extra Old. Quotes from back of the jar include 'Marmite XO Extra Old' and 'Using four specially selected yeast sources, our master blender has crafted the secret Marmite recipe and matured it four times longer to create a Marmite so strong and full bodied it can only be for the most devoted of lovers'.
Marmite effect
By the 1990s, another aspect entered the company's marketing efforts; Marmite's distinctive and powerful flavour had earned it as many detractors as it had fans, and it was commonly notorious for producing a polarised "love/hate" reaction amongst consumers. Modern advertisements play on this, and Marmite runs a dual skinned website with two URLs;
I Love Marmite and
I Hate Marmite, where people may share their experiences of Marmite and are actively encouraged to fuel this debate, as prompted by the I Hate Marmite
registration form. This resulted in the coining of the phrase "Marmite effect" or "Marmite reaction" for anything which provokes such strong and polarised feelings.
On 22 April 2010, Unilever threatened legal action against the
British National PartyThe British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
(BNP) for using a jar of Marmite and the "love it or hate it" slogan in their television adverts.
Many
BrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
residents use the phrase "That's proper Marmite" to show that something may be taken the wrong way or maybe isn't the best idea. One example of this is Riziki Millanzi in the interview about
Crystal Palace- United Kingdom :* The Crystal Palace, an 1851 building in south London destroyed by fire in 1936** The Great Exhibition, the event the building was built for, sometimes also known as Crystal Palace...
coming to play Brighton and Hove Albion in
Falmer StadiumFalmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium, or The Amex, is a football stadium near the village of Falmer in Brighton and Hove and is the home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.. The stadium was handed over from the developers to the club on 31 May 2011...
which was published in
The ArgusThe name Argus, after the mythological all-seeing giant Argus Panoptes, is a popular name for newspapers, alluding to their investigative and reporting prowess...
.{{cn|date=November 2011}}
Availability worldwide
Marmite is available in most food stores in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand,
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and South Africa, and generally most parts of the
Commonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
like
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia, and Canada.
In the United States, UK marmite can also be purchased in most CUB food stores, the international aisle of
KrogerThe Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
supermarkets, and some
QFCQuality Food Centers is a supermarket chain based in Bellevue, Washington, with over 75 stores in the Puget Sound region of Washington state and in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.-History:...
supermarkets, where it is found in the baking section.
Marmite purchased in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands is New Zealand Marmite, which has its own distinctive taste.
UK Marmite is available in Australia in the 125g size from several small imported food stores.
There is also an imported version called
Our Mate which is produced and exported by Unilever's UK & Ireland export division (Unilever UK & Ireland Export). These are also sold in the 125g size and are produced in Burton on Trent. The label states "Made in the UK by Unilever UK." Australia's national distributor Manassen Foods works with Unilever UK & Ireland Export to sell
Our Mate (Marmite) in Australia and New Zealand.
Marmite is also available to a lesser extent in other countries, mostly in specialist and health shops.
In
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, food safety legislation dictates that foodstuffs which contain added vitamins can only be sold by retailers which have been licensed by the Veterinary and Food Administration. In May 2011, the company which imports the product to Denmark revealed that it wasn't licensed and had therefore stopped selling the product: this led to widespread but inaccurate reports in the British media that Marmite had been banned by the Danish authorities.
Special editions
In 2002 a 100th anniversary jar was released.
In February 2007 Marmite produced a limited edition
GuinnessGuinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
Marmite of 300,000 250g jars of their yeast extract with 30% Guinness yeast. The Guinness Marmite has a more subtle and smoother taste. Although it is alcohol free, it still retains a noticeable hint of "Guinness" flavour. Its consistency is slightly more serious than the normal Marmite.
In January 2008 a new special edition, Champagne Marmite, was released for
Valentine's DaySaint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
2008. The limited-edition run of 600,000 units was initially released exclusively to
SelfridgesSelfridges, AKA Selfridges & Co, is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909.More recently, three other stores have been...
of London, then across the UK, from 21 January. With 0.3% champagne added to the recipe, the spread is effectively non-alcoholic, but does have a sweeter smell than the regular spread, a slightly lighter hue, and, like the Guinness edition, a runnier consistency than usual. The special edition also has a modified label in the shape of a heart with "I love you" instead of the regular Marmite logo, and is decorated with italic writing and cherubs. The lid has also been made a golden colour to match the label, and altered to emulate a champagne bottle. A new touch to the jar is a space on the back to write in the name of one's valentine onto the jar.
In 2009, a limited edition Marston's Pedigree Marmite was launched to celebrate the
2009 Ashes Cricket test seriesThe 2009 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing and storied cricket rivalry between England and Australia, and was part of the Australian cricket tour of England in 2009. Starting on 8 July 2009, England and Australia played five Tests, with England winning the series 2–1...
.
In March 2010, Unilever released a specially-brewed extra-strong version of the spread called "Marmite XO".
Jar varieties
- Marmite 125g
- Marmite 250g
- Marmite 500g
- Marmite 600g – (Catering size, in a plastic tub rather than the normal glass jar)
- Marmite Love portions (6 x 8g) – (sold individually in some cafés)
- Marmite Squeeze 200g
- Marmite Big Squeeze 400g
- Limited Edition Guinness Marmite 250g – white lid, white label, dark brown jar
- Limited Edition Champagne Marmite 250g – yellow lid, yellow label, dark brown jar
- Limited Edition Marston's Pedigree 250g – browny-gold lid, browny- gold label, dark red jar
- Marmite XO 250g – black lid, black label, dark brown jar
Snacks
- Marmite Flavour Breadsticks 30g packets – [Paper Box]
- Marmite Flavour Rice Cakes 30g packets (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Breadsticks 30g (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Rice Cakes 30g (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Crisps 25g (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Cheddar Circle Bites
- Marmite Oven Baked Cashew Nuts
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
(Black)
- Marmite Flavour Cheddar Cheese (Black)
- Marmite Very Peculiar Milk Chocolate (Black)
Marmite and mosquitoes
British travellers to tropical locations sometimes take Marmite with them to eat during the trip, although it has been shown that the B vitamin complex does not repel mosquitoes.
{{for|French casserole pot|Marmite (cooking dish)}}
{{Use British English|date=August 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2011}}
Marmite (icon {{respell|MAR|myt}}) is the name given to two similar
food spreadsA spread is a food that is spread with a knife onto bread, crackers, or other bread products. Spreads are added to bread products to provide flavor and texture, and are an integral part of the dish, i.e. they should be distinguished from condiments, which are optional additions...
: the original British version, first produced in the United Kingdom and later South Africa, and a version produced in New Zealand. Marmite is made from
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
, a
by-productA by-product is a secondary product derived from a manufacturing process or chemical reaction. It is not the primary product or service being produced.A by-product can be useful and marketable or it can be considered waste....
of beer brewing.
The British version of the product is a sticky, dark brown paste with a distinctive, powerful flavour, which is extremely salty and savoury. This distinctive taste is reflected in the British company's marketing slogan:
"Love it or hate it." Other similar products are the Australian
VegemiteVegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
and the Swiss
CenovisCenovis is a product based on yeast extract similar to Marmite and Vegemite, rich in vitamin B1. In the form of a dark brown food paste, it is used to flavour soups, sausages, and salads. The most popular way to consume Cenovis is however to spread it on a slice of buttered bread, as stated on the...
.
The distinctive product was originally British, but a version with a different flavour has been manufactured in New Zealand since 1919, and this is the dominant version in New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
The image on the front of the British jar shows a "
marmiteA marmite is a traditional crockery casserole dish found in France and is famed for its pot-belly shape.According to Louis Saulnier, in his Le Répertoire de la Cuisine, a marmite "Firstly, is a stock pot. Secondly, a French pot with lid similar to a casserole with two finger-grips on each side." ...
" (maʁmit), a French term for a large, covered earthenware or metal cooking pot. The British Marmite was originally supplied in
earthenwareEarthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
pots, but since the 1920s has been sold in glass jars that approximate the shape of such pots. A thinner version in squeezable plastic jars was introduced in March 2006.
History
The product that was to become Marmite was invented in the late 19th Century when German scientist
Justus von LiebigJustus von Liebig was a German chemist who made major contributions to agricultural and biological chemistry, and worked on the organization of organic chemistry. As a professor, he devised the modern laboratory-oriented teaching method, and for such innovations, he is regarded as one of the...
discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten. In 1902 The Marmite Food Extract Company was formed in
Burton upon TrentBurton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
, Staffordshire, England by the Gilmour family, with Marmite as its main product and Burton as the site of the first factory. The product took its name from the "
marmiteA marmite is a traditional crockery casserole dish found in France and is famed for its pot-belly shape.According to Louis Saulnier, in his Le Répertoire de la Cuisine, a marmite "Firstly, is a stock pot. Secondly, a French pot with lid similar to a casserole with two finger-grips on each side." ...
" (maʁmit), a French term for a large, covered earthenware or metal cooking pot. The British Marmite was originally supplied in
earthenwareEarthenware is a common ceramic material, which is used extensively for pottery tableware and decorative objects.-Types of earthenware:Although body formulations vary between countries and even between individual makers, a generic composition is 25% ball clay, 28% kaolin, 32% quartz, and 15%...
pots, but since the 1920s has primarily been sold in glass jars that approximate the shape of such pots. The labels of the UK product still carry the image of a marmite. The by-product yeast needed for the paste was supplied by Bass Brewery. By 1907, the product had become successful enough to warrant construction of a second factory at
Camberwell GreenCamberwell Green is a small area of common land in Camberwell, South London. It lies at the intersection of Camberwell Road and Camberwell New Road/Camberwell Church Street. At the North-East of the green is Camberwell Magistrate's Court, and at the North West is a home for the elderly...
in London.
The product's popularity prompted the
Sanitarium Health Food CompanyThe Sanitarium Health & Wellbeing Company is the trading name of two sister food companies . Both are wholly owned by the Seventh-day Adventist Church....
to obtain sole rights to distribute the product in New Zealand and Australia in 1908. They later began manufacturing Marmite under licence in
ChristchurchChristchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
, albeit using a modified version of the original recipe, most notable for its inclusion of sugar and caramel. Common ingredients are also present in slightly different quantities from the British version; the New Zealand version has high levels of potassium, for example. New Zealand Marmite is described as having a "weaker" or "less tangy" flavour than the British version. It is distributed throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
During
World War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
British troops were issued with Marmite as part of their rations.
In 1990, Marmite Limited—which had become a subsidiary of
BovrilBovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty meat extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston and sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, owned and distributed by Unilever UK....
Limited—was bought by
CPC International IncHellmann's and Best Foods are brand names that are used for the same line of mayonnaise and other food products. The Hellmann's brand is sold in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and also in Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Canada...
, which changed its name to
Best Foods IncHellmann's and Best Foods are brand names that are used for the same line of mayonnaise and other food products. The Hellmann's brand is sold in the United States east of the Rocky Mountains, and also in Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Canada...
in 1998. Best Foods Inc subsequently merged with
UnileverUnilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
in 2000, and Marmite is now a trademark owned by
UnileverUnilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....
.{{citation needed|date=October 2011}}
Similar products
There are a number of similar yeast products available in other countries, which are not directly connected to the original Marmite recipe and brand. The most well known in English-speaking countries is the Australian product
VegemiteVegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
which is also distributed in many countries. Other products are
CenovisCenovis is a product based on yeast extract similar to Marmite and Vegemite, rich in vitamin B1. In the form of a dark brown food paste, it is used to flavour soups, sausages, and salads. The most popular way to consume Cenovis is however to spread it on a slice of buttered bread, as stated on the...
, a
SwissSwitzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
spread and from 1913, "Vegex" has been available in the USA, it is a similar autolyzed yeast product. It is sold by CEA, a not-for-profit organisation.
Use
Initially, Marmite was popular with vegetarians as a meat-free alternative to
beef extractMeat extract is highly concentrated meat stock, usually made from beef. It is used to add meat flavor in cooking, and to make broth for drinking....
products such as
BovrilBovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty meat extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston and sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, owned and distributed by Unilever UK....
, which were popular in the late 19th and early 20th century.{{Citation needed|date=October 2010}}
Marmite is traditionally eaten as a savoury spread on bread,
toastToast is bread that has been browned by exposure to radiant heat. This browning reaction is known as the Maillard reaction. Toasting warms the bread and makes it firmer, so it holds toppings more securely...
, savoury
biscuitA biscuit is a baked, edible, and commonly flour-based product. The term is used to apply to two distinctly different products in North America and the Commonwealth Nations....
s (
crackerA cracker is a baked good commonly made from grain flour dough and typically made in quantity in various hand-sized or smaller shapes. Flavorings or seasonings, such as salt, herbs, seeds, and/or cheese, may be added to the dough or sprinkled on top before baking...
s in US usage), and other similar baked products. Owing to its concentrated taste it is usually spread thinly with butter or margarine. Marmite can also be made into a winter drink by adding one teaspoon to a mug of hot water much like
BovrilBovril is the trademarked name of a thick, salty meat extract, developed in the 1870s by John Lawson Johnston and sold in a distinctive, bulbous jar. It is made in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, owned and distributed by Unilever UK....
.
In 2003, the Absolute Press published Paul Hartley's
The Marmite Cookbook, containing recipes and suggestions on how to blend Marmite with other foodstuffs.
Marmite also works well with cheese (such as in a
cheese sandwichA cheese sandwich is a basic sandwich made generally with one or more slices of any kind of cheese on any sort of bread. In addition to the cheese, it may also include pepperoni, lettuce, bacon, tomatoes, pickles and/or condiments such as mustard or mayonnaise...
) and has been used as an additional flavouring in
Mini CheddarsCheddars are a brand of baked Cheddar cheese-flavoured British-style savoury biscuits, having a granular crumbly texture unlike crackers which are harder, more brittle and flaky in texture. They are manufactured by McVitie's as an alternative to other snack foods such as fried potato crisps. They...
, a cheese-flavoured biscuit snack. Similarly, it has been used by
Walkers CrispsWalkers is a British snack food manufacturer operating mainly in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland and to a lesser extent on the European continent. They are best known for manufacturing crisps. They hold 47 per cent of the British crisp market...
for a special-edition flavour and has introduced, with local Dorset bakery Fudges, Marmite Biscuits in the UK.
StarbucksStarbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
UK has a cheese and Marmite Panini on their menu.
In New Zealand, Sanitarium, the NZ Marmite company recommends spreading it on bread with potato crisps added to make a "Marmite and Chip" or "Crisps and Marmite" sandwich. In Singapore and Malaysia, Marmite is popularly added to plain rice
congeeCongee is a type of rice porridge popular in many Asian countries. It can be eaten alone or served with a side dish. Names for congee are as varied as the style of its preparation...
to give it a strong, tasty flavour.
In August 2006, as part of the launch of squeezy Marmite, celebrity chef
Gary RhodesGary Rhodes OBE is an English restaurateur, cookery writer, and chef, known for his love of British cuisine and distinctive spiked hair style ....
created a dessert consisting of coffee ice cream topped with chocolate sauce with a dash of Marmite. It was served for one week only in his London restaurant.
Manufacture
While the process is secret, the general method for making yeast extract on a commercial scale is to add salt to a suspension of yeast, making the solution hypertonic, which leads to the cells shrivelling up; this triggers "autolysis", in which the yeast self-destructs. The dying yeast cells are then heated to complete their breakdown, and since yeast cells have thick hull walls which would detract from the smoothness of the end product, the husks are sieved out. As with other
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
s, Marmite contains free
glutamic acidGlutamic acid and its ions and salts, called glutamates, are flavor-enhancing compounds which provide an umami taste to food. Glutamic acid is a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods, including soy sauce, fermented bean paste, and cheese, and is also a component of hydrolyzed protein...
s, which are analogous to
monosodium glutamateMonosodium glutamate, also known as sodium glutamate or MSG, is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, one of the most abundant naturally occurring non-essential amino acids....
(MSG).
Today, the main ingredients of Marmite manufactured in the UK are
glutamic acidGlutamic acid and its ions and salts, called glutamates, are flavor-enhancing compounds which provide an umami taste to food. Glutamic acid is a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods, including soy sauce, fermented bean paste, and cheese, and is also a component of hydrolyzed protein...
-rich
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
, with lesser quantities of
sodium chlorideSodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an inorganic compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium chloride is the salt most responsible for the salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular fluid of many multicellular organisms...
(table salt), vegetable extract,
niacin"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
,
thiamineThiamine or thiamin or vitamin B1 , named as the "thio-vitamine" is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name vitamin B1. Its phosphate derivatives are...
, spice extracts,
riboflavinRiboflavin, also known as vitamin B2 or additive E101, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B2 is required for a...
,
folic acidFolic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
, and celery extracts, although the precise composition is a
trade secretA trade secret is a formula, practice, process, design, instrument, pattern, or compilation of information which is not generally known or reasonably ascertainable, by which a business can obtain an economic advantage over competitors or customers...
. By 1912, the discovery of vitamins was a boost for Marmite, as the spread is a rich source of the vitamin B complex;
vitamin B12Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...
is not naturally found in yeast extract, but is added to Marmite during manufacture. With the
vitamin B1Thiamine or thiamin or vitamin B1 , named as the "thio-vitamine" is a water-soluble vitamin of the B complex. First named aneurin for the detrimental neurological effects if not present in the diet, it was eventually assigned the generic descriptor name vitamin B1. Its phosphate derivatives are...
deficiency beri-beri being common during the First World War, the spread became more popular.
Nutritional information
In the 1930s, Marmite was used by the English scientist
Lucy WillsLucy Wills, MA , LRCP, MB BS was a leading English haematologist. She conducted seminal work in India in the late 1920s and early 1930s on macrocytic anaemia of pregnancy. Her observations led to her discovery of a nutritional factor in yeast which both prevents and cures this disorder...
to identify
folic acidFolic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
and its effect in suppressing anaemia. Besides folic acid (Vitamin B
9) Marmite has useful quantities of several other vitamins, even in small servings. The sodium (salt) content of the spread is high and has caused concern, but the amount per serving, not the percentage in bulk Marmite, is the significant factor. The main ingredient of Marmite is
yeast extractYeast extract is the common name for various forms of processed yeast products made by extracting the cell contents ; they are used as food additives or flavourings, or as nutrients for bacterial culture media. They are often used to create savory flavors and umami taste sensations. Monosodium...
, which contains a high concentration of
glutamic acidGlutamic acid and its ions and salts, called glutamates, are flavor-enhancing compounds which provide an umami taste to food. Glutamic acid is a natural constituent of many fermented or aged foods, including soy sauce, fermented bean paste, and cheese, and is also a component of hydrolyzed protein...
, a known
excitotoxinExcitotoxicity is the pathological process by which nerve cells are damaged and killed by excessive stimulation by neurotransmitters such as glutamate and similar substances. This occurs when receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamate such as the NMDA receptor and AMPA receptor are...
.
Marmite made in the United Kingdom is gluten-free.
British & New Zealand Marmite
| UK Marmite | per 100 g | | per 4 g serving |
NZ Marmite | per 100 g | | per 5 g serving |
| Energy |
983 kJ The joule ; symbol J) is a derived unit of energy or work in the International System of Units. It is equal to the energy expended in applying a force of one newton through a distance of one metre , or in passing an electric current of one ampere through a resistance of one ohm for one second...
|
39 kJ |
|
Energy |
680 kJ |
34 kJ |
|
| Calories |
231 kcal The calorie is a pre-SI metric unit of energy. It was first defined by Nicolas Clément in 1824 as a unit of heat, entering French and English dictionaries between 1841 and 1867. In most fields its use is archaic, having been replaced by the SI unit of energy, the joule...
|
9 kcal |
Calories |
163 kcal |
8 kcal |
| Protein Proteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
|
38.4 g |
1.5 g |
Protein |
16.2 g |
0.8 g |
| Carbohydrates |
19.2 g |
0.8 g |
Carbohydrates |
16.6 g |
0.8 g |
| of which sugars |
0.5 g |
trace |
sugars |
11.8 g |
0.6 g |
| Fat |
0.1 g |
nil |
Fat |
0.9 g |
0.1 g |
of which saturatesSaturated fat is fat that consists of triglycerides containing only saturated fatty acids. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between the individual carbon atoms of the fatty acid chain. That is, the chain of carbon atoms is fully "saturated" with hydrogen atoms...
|
trace |
nil |
|
|
|
| Fibre |
3.1 g |
0.1 g |
Fibre |
11.5 g |
0.58 g |
| Sodium In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
|
3.9 g |
0.2 g |
Sodium |
3.4 g |
0.17 g |
| Salt |
11 g |
0.44 g |
PotassiumPotassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
|
1.95 g |
0.098 g |
| | % RDA |
| % RDI |
| Thiamin |
5.8 mg |
0.23 mg |
17% |
Thiamin |
11.0 mg |
0.55 mg |
50% |
RiboflavinRiboflavin, also known as vitamin B2 or additive E101, is an easily absorbed micronutrient with a key role in maintaining health in humans and animals. It is the central component of the cofactors FAD and FMN, and is therefore required by all flavoproteins. As such, vitamin B2 is required for a...
|
7.0 mg |
0.28 mg |
18% |
Riboflavin |
8.4 mg |
0.4 mg |
25% |
Niacin"Niacin" redirects here. For the neo-fusion band, see Niacin .Niacin is an organic compound with the formula and, depending on the definition used, one of the forty to eighty essential human nutrients.Niacin is one of five vitamins associated with a pandemic deficiency disease: niacin deficiency...
|
160.0 mg |
6.4 mg |
36% |
Niacin |
50.0 mg |
2.5 mg |
25% |
Folic AcidFolic acid and folate , as well as pteroyl-L-glutamic acid, pteroyl-L-glutamate, and pteroylmonoglutamic acid are forms of the water-soluble vitamin B9...
|
2500 µg |
100 µg |
50% |
Folate |
2000 µg |
100 µg |
50% |
| Vitamin B12 Vitamin B12, vitamin B12 or vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, is a water-soluble vitamin with a key role in the normal functioning of the brain and nervous system, and for the formation of blood. It is one of the eight B vitamins...
|
15.0 µg |
0.6 µg |
40% |
Vitamin B12 |
10.0 µg |
0.5 µg |
25% |
| |
|
|
|
Iron |
36.0 mg |
1.8 mg |
15% |
RDA = Recommended Daily Allowance
Suggested serving 4g for adults, 2 g for children
Children's serve has ½ of the adult quantities shown. |
RDI = Recommended Daily Intake |
British marketing and packaging
Marmite's publicity campaigns initially emphasised the spread's healthy nature, extolling it as "
The growing up spread you never grow out of." During the 1980s, the spread was advertised with the slogan "
My mate, Marmite", chanted in television commercials by an army platoon. (The spread had been a standard vitamin supplement for British-based German
POWA prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
s during the Second World War.)
A 2004 UK TV advert, which parodied the 1958 Steve McQueen film
The BlobThe Blob is an independently made 1958 American horror/science-fiction film that depicts a giant amoeba-like alien that terrorizes the small community of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania...
, substituting Marmite for the original alien space menace and including scenes of fleeing crowds, was dropped from children's television after concerned parents reported that their children had been scared by the adverts and had nightmares after viewing them.
In 2006, a new "squeezy" jar of Marmite was released. The container is made of flexible plastic which can be squeezed to dispense the product. When first launched, the "Marmite" logo was replaced by the words "Squeeze me".
Paddington BearPaddington Bear is a fictional character in children's literature. He appeared on 13 October 1958 and was subsequently featured in several books, most recently in 2008, written by Michael Bond and first illustrated by Peggy Fortnum....
featured in the Marmite UK TV advertisement (broadcast on 13 September 2007); in which he tries a Marmite and cheese sandwich instead of his traditional
marmaladeMarmalade is a fruit preserve made from the juice and peel of citrus fruits, boiled with sugar and water. The benchmark citrus fruit for marmalade production in Britain is the "Seville orange" from Spain, Citrus aurantium var...
sandwich. When he offers the sandwiches to other characters, he gets mixed and often dramatic reactions.
On 8 March 2010 a new version of the product was launched, Marmite XO, "XO" mimicking a grade of brandy known as
Extra Old. Quotes from back of the jar include 'Marmite XO Extra Old' and 'Using four specially selected yeast sources, our master blender has crafted the secret Marmite recipe and matured it four times longer to create a Marmite so strong and full bodied it can only be for the most devoted of lovers'.
Marmite effect
By the 1990s, another aspect entered the company's marketing efforts; Marmite's distinctive and powerful flavour had earned it as many detractors as it had fans, and it was commonly notorious for producing a polarised "love/hate" reaction amongst consumers. Modern advertisements play on this, and Marmite runs a dual skinned website with two URLs;
I Love Marmite and
I Hate Marmite, where people may share their experiences of Marmite and are actively encouraged to fuel this debate, as prompted by the I Hate Marmite
registration form. This resulted in the coining of the phrase "Marmite effect" or "Marmite reaction" for anything which provokes such strong and polarised feelings.
On 22 April 2010, Unilever threatened legal action against the
British National PartyThe British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
(BNP) for using a jar of Marmite and the "love it or hate it" slogan in their television adverts.
Many
BrightonBrighton is the major part of the city of Brighton and Hove in East Sussex, England on the south coast of Great Britain...
residents use the phrase "That's proper Marmite" to show that something may be taken the wrong way or maybe isn't the best idea. One example of this is Riziki Millanzi in the interview about
Crystal Palace- United Kingdom :* The Crystal Palace, an 1851 building in south London destroyed by fire in 1936** The Great Exhibition, the event the building was built for, sometimes also known as Crystal Palace...
coming to play Brighton and Hove Albion in
Falmer StadiumFalmer Stadium, known for sponsorship purposes as the American Express Community Stadium, or The Amex, is a football stadium near the village of Falmer in Brighton and Hove and is the home of Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.. The stadium was handed over from the developers to the club on 31 May 2011...
which was published in
The ArgusThe name Argus, after the mythological all-seeing giant Argus Panoptes, is a popular name for newspapers, alluding to their investigative and reporting prowess...
.{{cn|date=November 2011}}
Availability worldwide
Marmite is available in most food stores in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand,
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and South Africa, and generally most parts of the
Commonwealth of NationsThe Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
like
SingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Malaysia, and Canada.
In the United States, UK marmite can also be purchased in most CUB food stores, the international aisle of
KrogerThe Kroger Co. is an American supermarket chain founded by Bernard Kroger in 1883 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It reported US$ 76.7 billion in sales during fiscal year 2009. It is the country's largest grocery store chain and its second-largest grocery retailer by volume and second-place general retailer...
supermarkets, and some
QFCQuality Food Centers is a supermarket chain based in Bellevue, Washington, with over 75 stores in the Puget Sound region of Washington state and in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area.-History:...
supermarkets, where it is found in the baking section.
Marmite purchased in New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands is New Zealand Marmite, which has its own distinctive taste.
UK Marmite is available in Australia in the 125g size from several small imported food stores.
There is also an imported version called
Our Mate which is produced and exported by Unilever's UK & Ireland export division (Unilever UK & Ireland Export). These are also sold in the 125g size and are produced in Burton on Trent. The label states "Made in the UK by Unilever UK." Australia's national distributor Manassen Foods works with Unilever UK & Ireland Export to sell
Our Mate (Marmite) in Australia and New Zealand.
Marmite is also available to a lesser extent in other countries, mostly in specialist and health shops.
In
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, food safety legislation dictates that foodstuffs which contain added vitamins can only be sold by retailers which have been licensed by the Veterinary and Food Administration. In May 2011, the company which imports the product to Denmark revealed that it wasn't licensed and had therefore stopped selling the product: this led to widespread but inaccurate reports in the British media that Marmite had been banned by the Danish authorities.
Special editions
In 2002 a 100th anniversary jar was released.
In February 2007 Marmite produced a limited edition
GuinnessGuinness is a popular Irish dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is directly descended from the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide, brewed in almost...
Marmite of 300,000 250g jars of their yeast extract with 30% Guinness yeast. The Guinness Marmite has a more subtle and smoother taste. Although it is alcohol free, it still retains a noticeable hint of "Guinness" flavour. Its consistency is slightly more serious than the normal Marmite.
In January 2008 a new special edition, Champagne Marmite, was released for
Valentine's DaySaint Valentine's Day, commonly shortened to Valentine's Day, is an annual commemoration held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The day is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine, and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496...
2008. The limited-edition run of 600,000 units was initially released exclusively to
SelfridgesSelfridges, AKA Selfridges & Co, is a chain of high end department stores in the United Kingdom. It was founded by Harry Gordon Selfridge. The flagship store in London's Oxford Street is the second largest shop in the UK and was opened on 15 March 1909.More recently, three other stores have been...
of London, then across the UK, from 21 January. With 0.3% champagne added to the recipe, the spread is effectively non-alcoholic, but does have a sweeter smell than the regular spread, a slightly lighter hue, and, like the Guinness edition, a runnier consistency than usual. The special edition also has a modified label in the shape of a heart with "I love you" instead of the regular Marmite logo, and is decorated with italic writing and cherubs. The lid has also been made a golden colour to match the label, and altered to emulate a champagne bottle. A new touch to the jar is a space on the back to write in the name of one's valentine onto the jar.
In 2009, a limited edition Marston's Pedigree Marmite was launched to celebrate the
2009 Ashes Cricket test seriesThe 2009 Ashes series was that year's edition of the long-standing and storied cricket rivalry between England and Australia, and was part of the Australian cricket tour of England in 2009. Starting on 8 July 2009, England and Australia played five Tests, with England winning the series 2–1...
.
In March 2010, Unilever released a specially-brewed extra-strong version of the spread called "Marmite XO".
Jar varieties
- Marmite 125g
- Marmite 250g
- Marmite 500g
- Marmite 600g – (Catering size, in a plastic tub rather than the normal glass jar)
- Marmite Love portions (6 x 8g) – (sold individually in some cafés)
- Marmite Squeeze 200g
- Marmite Big Squeeze 400g
- Limited Edition Guinness Marmite 250g – white lid, white label, dark brown jar
- Limited Edition Champagne Marmite 250g – yellow lid, yellow label, dark brown jar
- Limited Edition Marston's Pedigree 250g – browny-gold lid, browny- gold label, dark red jar
- Marmite XO 250g – black lid, black label, dark brown jar
Snacks
- Marmite Flavour Breadsticks 30g packets – [Paper Box]
- Marmite Flavour Rice Cakes 30g packets (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Breadsticks 30g (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Rice Cakes 30g (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Crisps 25g (Black)
- Marmite Flavour Cheddar Circle Bites
- Marmite Oven Baked Cashew Nuts
The cashew is a tree in the family Anacardiaceae. Its English name derives from the Portuguese name for the fruit of the cashew tree, caju, which in turn derives from the indigenous Tupi name, acajú. It is now widely grown in tropical climates for its cashew nuts and cashew apples.-Etymology:The...
(Black)
- Marmite Flavour Cheddar Cheese (Black)
- Marmite Very Peculiar Milk Chocolate (Black)
Marmite and mosquitoes
British travellers to tropical locations sometimes take Marmite with them to eat during the trip, although it has been shown that the B vitamin complex does not repel mosquitoes.{{ The root of this belief might have been its use during the 1934–5
malariaMalaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
epidemic in
Sri LankaSri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
as quoted:
{{cquote|The two things given to each patient were a bottle of the standard
quinineQuinine is a natural white crystalline alkaloid having antipyretic , antimalarial, analgesic , anti-inflammatory properties and a bitter taste. It is a stereoisomer of quinidine which, unlike quinine, is an anti-arrhythmic...
mixture and Marmite rolled into the form of
vederala pills. The latter was said to have been the idea of the late Dr. Mary Ratnam and to have been more effective than the quinine itself, such was the degree of starvation among the peasantry. The
Suriya MalThe Suriya-Mal Movement was formed in British ruled Ceylon to sell Suriya flowers on Poppy Day for the benefit of Sri Lankan ex-servicemen. The movement became anti-imperialist in character...
workers were amazed to see how this little Marmite revived them and put some life back into them.|1|1|George Jan Lerski|}}
See also
{{multicol}}
- Ambient food
- Guinness Yeast Extract
Guinness Yeast Extract, commonly known by its initials GYE, was an Irish savoury spread, made from yeast extract. It was a by-product of the Guinness beer brewing process and produced by Arthur Guinness Son & Co., Dublin...
{{multicol-break}}
- Promite
Promite is the registered brand name for a dark brown, salty food paste mainly used as a spread on sandwiches and toast similar to the better known Vegemite and Marmite. Promite was invented in the 1950s by Dr. David Lewis of the family food company Henry Lewis & Company and marketed under the...
- Twiglets
Twiglets are a wheat-based crisp snack shaped like small twigs, originating in the United Kingdom. The taste of Twiglets has been compared to Marmite.- Manufacture and marketing :...
- Vegemite
Vegemite is a dark brown Australian food paste made from yeast extract. It is a spread for sandwiches, toast, crumpets and cracker biscuits, and filling for pastries...
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External links
{{commons category|Marmite}}
{{Unilever}}