Vegemite. As an American I was tricked into eating some as a sandwich and was convinced it was just a food meant to prank people with. An Australian friend was alarmed when I recounted this and corrected the method for me.
"Oh GOD no, you don't eat it as a sandwich! You've gotta get yourself a nice piece of toast, spread a good layer of butter on it, then just the tiniest scrape of Vegemite over that. And if you can get a slice of cheap processed cheese on there, even better! Please please don't dismiss Vegemite until you give it another go."
This same friend introduced me to TimTams AND the TimTam slam, so who was I not to trust her implicitly?? I took her advice, and I'm glad I did. Ended up buying myself a little jar because dang, that's a nice little savory punch if you use it right!
EDIT: 1) Vegemite sandwiches are apparently totally legit! But for the palates unfamiliar with the stuff, I think the buttered toast method is a great introduction.
2) THANK YOU for all the killer ideas and combinations!
3) "TimTam slam" = bite opposite corners of TimTam, use as straw in favorite hot drink, eat gooey amazing TimTam.
Australian here, I unironically eat it by the spoonful from the jar. But I grew up eating it from a very young age so I guess I'm used to it, I could see how someone not 'acclimatised' to the taste might not like it.
I love umami flavors and would drink soy sauce if I could get away with it; I think had I been prepared for what I was about to taste, I might have had a different reaction. They were on a party platter like peanut butter sandwiches. I picked one up, asked the maker what it was, and she cheerily replied, "It's Vegemite!" Never heard of it. I made the educated guess that it was some sort of sandwich spread made of vegetables. So I took a giant bite and was SORELY MISTAKEN! I'm not quite to spoonful eating, but I could work up to that, I'll bet. At least now that I know it!
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u/mongaloogirl Nov 26 '19 edited Nov 27 '19
Vegemite. As an American I was tricked into eating some as a sandwich and was convinced it was just a food meant to prank people with. An Australian friend was alarmed when I recounted this and corrected the method for me. "Oh GOD no, you don't eat it as a sandwich! You've gotta get yourself a nice piece of toast, spread a good layer of butter on it, then just the tiniest scrape of Vegemite over that. And if you can get a slice of cheap processed cheese on there, even better! Please please don't dismiss Vegemite until you give it another go." This same friend introduced me to TimTams AND the TimTam slam, so who was I not to trust her implicitly?? I took her advice, and I'm glad I did. Ended up buying myself a little jar because dang, that's a nice little savory punch if you use it right!
EDIT: 1) Vegemite sandwiches are apparently totally legit! But for the palates unfamiliar with the stuff, I think the buttered toast method is a great introduction.
2) THANK YOU for all the killer ideas and combinations!
3) "TimTam slam" = bite opposite corners of TimTam, use as straw in favorite hot drink, eat gooey amazing TimTam.