Getting the last of the Marmite

[Millymollymandy]

I loathe bacon flavour(ed) anything as it bears absolutely no resemblance to the taste of bacon whatsoever!

[ina]

I think you can tell by the subtlty of the wording:

If it says 'Bacon Flavoured', then it has to be flavoured with bacon - the real stuff.

If it says 'Bacon Flavour' then it just has to be a flavour that vaguely reminds you of something that might once have been a bit like bacon.

That's similar to the difference between "made from" and "made with"; or "fruit juice", and "fruit juice drink"... But here they even call Coke juice. Actually, is that just a Scottish thing, or do they do that in England, too? It really caught me out the first time I was offered "juice", and then given the choice between several non-juices.

Ina

[Wombat]

Eh! It's all about sucking in the consumer - "we gotta tell ya, so we'll tell ya in a way that confuses ya".

Not that I'm at all cynical, mind you.

Nev

[ina]

Just as well. We wouldn't want you on this forum if you were.

Ina 8)

[Wombat]

Fair enough

[Millymollymandy]

Ina - I've never heard of Coke being called juice. In fact I've never heard anybody ever say 'juice' - 'fruit juice', yes, but not 'juice' alone. Must be a Scottish thing unless England has changed a lot since I was last there!

[ina]

I suspected that. Don't know how long you've been away, but I don't remember it from my time in London, either; that was about 25 years ago. Makes it sound so healthy, doesn't it - do you want a can of juice?

Ina

[Millymollymandy]

10 years - but I've been back on visits.

Juice sounds a bit American, but then they say 'soda' for drinks out of cans, don't they?

Aren't Juice Bars fashionable these days?

[Dear Jane]

At the risk of sounding like a dumb American, which I guess I am, on this topic --- what is Marmite??? I thought that a marmite was some kind of small animal ! Also on the the remark about Americans and "soda"-- those of us who pretend to be sophisticated, call it soda, others call it" pop", and a few still call it "soda pop"... My favorite is Dr. Pepper, whose secret ingredient is or was prune juice, so guess if someone asked if you wanted juice, they'd be partly right.... Jane

[Muddypause]

Ahh, Jane...

Marmite is one of the things that we Brits feel smug about, knowing that most of the rest of the world doesn't have a clue (though many countries have something similar). It's basically a yeast extract product (whatever that may be) and is a dark brown gooey stuff. Most often, it is used as a spread on bread or toast, but can be used to make gravy, or as a hot drink. It has a rich and prominent tang to its flavour, and the current advertising campaign plays upon the point that some people hate the stuff with as much passion as others love it - it certainly seems impossible to be ambivalent about it. If you are one of the lucky ones who love it, it has probably been in your life since you were eating baby food.

In fact 'a marmite' is, apparently, a large French cooking pot with a lid, usually made of earthenware or cast iron.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmite
http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,36 ... 68,00.html
http://www.unilever.co.uk/ourbrands/foods/marmite.asp


If you want to try it, you could order it from BritStore who deliver British quaintness worldwide.

[ina]

... and if you see Vegemite in a shop, that's the Australian equivalent to it - probably doesn't taste much different, but I prefer it for some obscure reason.

Ina

[wulf]

I disagree - vegemite tastes completely different! In my experience (including trying both), there are three kinds of people in the world:

People who love marmite and loathe vegemite (me!)
People who love vegemite and loathe marmite
People who loathe both!

They're both thick brown sludges but the similarity stops there!

Wulf

[Wombat]

Put me down in the last category, Wulf!

Nev

[Millymollymandy]

I like both! but I think that Marmite is better!

[hedgewitch]

I like both! but I think that Marmite is better!

Me too!!!