vegemite

my brain is about to explode from studying. therefore...i shall post.
so i was grocery shopping the other day and decided on a whim that i was going to buy vegemite. i don't know if you all know what that is, so i'll explain.
vegemite is a paste-like substance made from the excess yeast scraped off beer barrels. when they discovered a while back that it was jam-packed full of vitamins, they started putting it on the inside of baby's lips for a nutritional supplement. well this created a whole generation of people who have grown to love and crave vegemite. australian's love the stuff.
if you were to try it, however, it might make you gag. i had my first experience during orientation in the blue mountains. i had the smallest possible dab on a piece of toast and had to spit it out. i expected it to be sweet like jam or nutella or something...that was my first mistake.
if i were to describe the taste of vegemite it'd be salty, bitter, yeast. mmm, sounds awesome, i know! but after working at the coffee shop and seeing people consume the stuff like candy, i wanted to give it another go.
i was advised the proper way to eat vegemite is on toast with a layer of melted butter and a thin thin layer of vegemite. i followed the instructions closely, and you know - it's not THAT bad. just an aquired taste, i suppose.
in any case, the not-so-pleasant taste is totally out-weighed by the massive amounts of vitamins. (one of the richest sources of vitamin b in the world - or so it boasts) moreover, it's so aussie. so when in rome...
the back of my tube advertises:
'vegemite is the uniquely australian taste - proudly made in australia since 1923!
this handy travel pack of vegemite is great for aussie adventures when hiking, camping, traveling overseas, sailing and other outdoor pursuits. suitable for vegetarians and absolutely delicious!'
haha - i don't know about all that.... oh but that ad is so aussie too. they are fond of their 'outdoor pursuits' haha. i love this country!