Marmite ( ) is the name given to two similar food spreads: 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 extract, a by-product of beer brewing.

This is the only produce sold as Marmite in Australasia and the Pacific, whereas elsewhere in the world the British version predominates.

New Zealand Marmite is described as having a " weaker " or " less tangy " flavour than the British version.

Best Foods Inc subsequently merged with Unilever in 2000, and Marmite is now a trademark owned by Unilever.

Marmite is traditionally eaten as a savoury spread on bread, toast, savoury biscuits ( crackers in US usage ), and other similar baked products.

In Singapore and Malaysia, Marmite is popularly added to plain rice congee to give it a strong, salty flavour.

Today, the main ingredients of Marmite manufactured in the UK are glutamic acid-rich yeast extract, with lesser quantities of sodium chloride ( table salt ), vegetable extract, niacin, thiamine, spice extracts, riboflavin, folic acid, and celery extracts, although the precise composition is a trade secret.

By 1912, the discovery of vitamins was a boost for Marmite, as the spread is a rich source of the vitamin B complex ; vitamin B < sub > 12 </ sub > is not naturally found in yeast extract, but is added to Marmite during manufacture.

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 extract, which contains a high concentration of glutamic acid, a known excitotoxin.

Marmite made in the United Kingdom is gluten-free.

It is similar to British, New Zealand, and South African Marmite, Australian Promite, Swiss Cenovis, and German Hefeextrakt.

It is not as intensely flavoured as British Marmite and it is less sweet than the New Zealand version of Marmite.

Vegemite is one of the world's richest known sources of B vitamins, specifically thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folic acid, but unlike Marmite and some other yeast extracts, it contains no vitamin B12.

The general method for making yeast extract for food products such as Vegemite and Marmite on a commercial scale is to add sodium chloride ( 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.

Marmite can also be made into a winter drink by adding one teaspoon to a mug of hot water much like Bovril.

A number of products widely regarded as kiwiana, such as Weet-Bix, Watties tomato sauce, Marmite and L & P, are made by non-New Zealand companies.

* Marmite — a dark and salty spread made from yeast extract, similar to Vegemite.

They are made from wheat flour and yeast, and are commonly served with cheese or other savoury topping such as Marmite or Vegemite.

In New Zealand, Sanitarium, the NZ Marmite company, recommends spreading it on bread with potato crisps added to make a " Marmite and Chippie " sandwich.

In 1919, prior to the introduction of Vegemite, the Sanitarium Health Food Company in New Zealand began manufacturing and shipping to Australia a version of Vegemite's biggest competitor, Marmite.

Yeast autolysates are used in Vegemite ( Australia ), Marmite, Promite, Oxo ( New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, and Republic of Ireland ), Cenovis ( Switzerland ) and Vitam-R ( Germany ).

The split opinion about its appearance and taste might be compared to Vegemite in Australia, blue cheese in France, surströmming in Sweden, lutefisk in Norway and Sweden, mämmi in Finland and Marmite in New Zealand, South Africa and the UK.

New Zealand Marmite is distinct from British Marmite, in taste and recipe.

It deserves separate mention that some meat extracts and yeast extracts ( Bovril, Marmite, Vegemite ) contain extremely high levels of tyramine, and should not be used with these medications.

Vegemite was invented in 1922 by food technologist Cyril P. Callister when, following the disruption of British Marmite imports after World War I, his employer, the Australian company Fred Walker & Co., gave him the task of developing a spread from the used yeast being dumped by breweries.

Virtually unchanged from Callister's original recipe, Vegemite now far outsells Marmite and other similar spreads in Australia.

The general method for making yeast extract for food products such as Vegemite and Marmite on a commercial scale is to add salt to a suspension of yeast, making the solution hypertonic, which leads to the cells ' shrivelling up.

Yeast autolysates are used in Vegemite and Promite ( Australia ); Marmite, Bovril and Oxo ( the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland and South Africa ); and Cenovis ( Switzerland ).

A popular breakfast food in Australia is Vegemite, a spread similar to Marmite.

Cenovis is a product based on yeast extract similar to Marmite and Vegemite, rich in vitamin B < sub > 1 </ sub >.

* Marmite, Vegemite, and ... Cenovis?

The cooked slices are often topped with jam, marmalade, butter, nut butter, honey, Marmite, Vegemite, maple syrup, golden syrup, fruit flavored syrup, molasses, apple sauce, baked beans, whipped cream, fruit, chocolate, sugar, yogurt, powdered sugar, bacon, treacle, tomato ketchup, cheese, cold cooked meats, ice cream, gravy, various nuts, or other similar toppings.

* Vegemite ( the Australian version ) and Marmite

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.

* Marmite, Promite, Vegemite – anything with high Vitamin B content

Common spreads include dairy spreads ( e. g. cheeses, creams, and butters ; though the term butter is broadly applied to many spreads ), plant spreads ( e. g. jams, jellies, peanut butter, hummus and baba ghanoush ), margarines, yeast spreads ( e. g. Vegemite and Marmite ) and meat spreads ( e. g. pâté, fleischbutter, cretons ).

In 1990, Marmite Limited — which had become a subsidiary of Bovril Limited — was bought by CPC International Inc, which changed its name to Best Foods Inc in 1998.

There are a number of similar yeast products available in other countries, which are not directly connected to the original Marmite recipe and brand.

Initially, Marmite was popular with vegetarians as a meat-free alternative to beef extract products such as Bovril, which were popular in the late 19th and early 20th century.

As with other yeast extracts, Marmite contains free glutamic acids, which are analogous to monosodium glutamate ( MSG ).

The volunteers found that there was widespread malnutrition, which they helped fight by making pills of ' Marmite ' yeast extract.

The song played a part in Blur's supposed feud with fellow Britpop band Oasis at the 1996 BRIT Awards when the Gallagher brothers, Liam and Noel, taunted Blur by singing a drunk rendition of " Parklife " ( with Liam changing the lyrics to " Shite-life " and Noel shouting " Marmite ") when the members of Oasis were collecting the " Best British Album " award, which both bands had been nominated for.