As the image on the front of every jar shows, a marmite is actually a "large covered earthenware or metal cooking pot," a word from French. Marmite was originally supplied in earthenware pots, but has long been sold in glass jars that approximate the shape of such pots. A thinner version in squeezable plastic jars was introduced in March 2006.
Marmite is not generally available worldwide, and is frequently cited as the most-missed foodstuff by British expatriates. Paul Ridout, a British backpacker kidnapped by Kashmiri separatists in 1994, was quoted as saying "It was pretty good. It's just one of those things—you get out of the country and it's all you can think about."
Serving suggestions
Marmite is traditionally eaten as a savoury spread on bread, toast, and savoury biscuits. Due to its concentrated taste it should be spread thinly with butter or margarine. Its powerful taste limits its applications otherwise; nonetheless, in 2003, the Absolute Press published Paul Hartley's "The Marmite Cookbook", containing recipes and suggestions on how to blend Marmite with other foodstuffs. Some consumers have been known to eat Marmite by itself, liking the strong taste of the spread. However, this is not recommended as said consumers have been known to experience sudden increases of sugar levels, also known as "going on a high".
Marmite also works well with cheese (such as in a cheese sandwich) and has been used as an additional flavouring in Mini Cheddars, a savoury cheese-flavoured biscuit snack. Marmite has also been used by Walkers Crisps for a special-edition flavour.
The Marmite connoisseur Lesley Dusart suggests that marmite can be used as part of a gravy and also suggests a recipe for the perfect marmite on toast:
- Toasted bread
- Lots of butter
- Thin layer of marmite
(This can also be applied to cheese and marmite sandwiches)
In New Zealand, it is sometimes spread thinly on bread with packet potato chips added to make a "Marmite And Chip Sandwich", or spread thickly on bread prior to toasting, cooked, then eaten slathered with butter.
In Sri Lanka it is dissolved in boiling water and some lime juice and a fried, sliced onion is added, allegedly an excellent pick-me-up drink for recovering from a hangover.
Nigella Lawson's recipe for Marmite sandwiches:
Whisk soft unsalted butter with some Marmite and then spread the peanut-butter coloured mix on to sliced white bread. 100g butter is enough to sandwich the slices of one loaf, the quantity of Marmite depends on whether you want a mild-tasting, buff-coloured cream or a salty-strong, sunbed-tan glaze.
Manufacture
Whilst the actual 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-destruct. Then the dying yeast cells are heated to complete their breakdown, then the husks (yeast have big thick cell walls which wouldn't do the texture much good) are separated out.
Nutritional information
Marmite has useful quantities of vitamins, even in small servings. 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.
Marmite Beating
If an amount of raw marmite is beaten for some time it will become white. The ideal method is to take a full spoonful and beat and fold it against a hard surface (a plate or chopping board for example). It can take several minutes but in the end will turn to an off white paste. This makes no difference to its taste but will reduce its viscosity since Marmite is a shear-thinning substance. This was highlighted in the UK media in the late 1990's.
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