Aussies outraged by American's Vegemite toast ‘abomination'
Few culinary debates get Aussies riled up as much as the topic of the 'proper' way to eat Vegemite.
Fans Down Under consider it a matter of national importance, so any time the issue comes up — be it at the breakfast table or on internet forums — a battle ensues.
The main debate, of course, is: 'How much is too much?'
Are you the type to generously coat your toast with Vegemite, covering every inch from edge to edge, or do you opt for more of a cautious smear, wary of its intensity?
And then, there are the sub-debates: to butter or not to butter? Cheese or no cheese? Should an egg ever be involved?
Recently, this timeless discussion was reignited when an American decided to put their own spin on the iconic dish, and bravely share it online.
Their creation was deemed 'disgusting' and 'culturally unacceptable'.
Taking to Reddit, the Yank asked Australians: 'How's my latest Vegemite toast?
'This time with butter, cheese, and a touch of dill and smoked paprika.'
And while it actually looks half decent — with what appears to be two types of melted cheese oozing all over it — people argued that on principle, you shouldn't overcomplicate Vegemite on toast, especially when the core ingredient already packs such a punch.
'Why is dill on the official breakfast of Australia?' one of the top comments read.
'Not once have I ever had a Vegemite sandwich, with or without cheese, and thought, 'flavour's not strong enough – what can I add?'' said another.
Another person compared the situation to 'that Italian chef on that British show when the host asked when to add cream to the carbonara'.
'National insult,' someone else declared, as someone else took it a step further and called it an 'international war crime'.
Other descriptors included 'abomination' and 'barbaric,' and one user admitted they were pregnant, and therefore used to having weird cravings, but even this made them gag.
'Have you no shame?' another quipped.
Meanwhile, some Aussies were slightly kinder to the poster, with one saying, 'Don't let all these weird comments and downvotes affect you. We Aussies don't usually do fancy Vegemite on toast like you've posted, and it appears that a few jimmies have been rustled. You do you'.
'Mate, you tell us! This is something most of us will never have tried. P. S. A simple Vegemite on toast plus avocado is a winner, if you haven't tried,' a second supported.
It comes after Vegemite itself responded to another American expat's attempt to enjoy the country's national condiment.
In a photo on Reddit, they shared a picture of two slices of bread nearly entirely covered in Vegemite, with only a small amount of bread peeking out from underneath.
His bold approach earned a mix of reactions, with most people agreeing it was a 'serial killer' amount of Vegemite.
However, the Head of Spreads at Bega, Mary Stafford, told news.com.au that there's no 'right' amount, and it's entirely personal.
'Feel free to spread more or less on your slice of toast to find the right balance and suit your personal taste!' she said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News.com.au
17 minutes ago
- News.com.au
Winter appeal responds to cold reality of empty plates and shrinking portions
EXCLUSIVE: One in five Australians are skipping meals, new research shows, in a damning indictment of the cost-of-living crisis. While inflation has eased to 2.4 per cent from a multi-decade high of 7.8 per cent in 2022, many households are still feeling the pinch, with one in four reducing portion sizes in an attempt to stretch their budgets. The concerning data comes from a Coles survey released ahead of the supermarket's annual winter appeal with food relief charity SecondBite, launching on Wednesday. Celebrity chef and Coles ambassador Curtis Stone said the campaign would make 'a huge difference' by donating excess food stock to those in need. 'Winter can be a particularly difficult time for Australians who are struggling to make ends meet,' he said. 'That's why the Coles SecondBite Winter Appeal is such an important cause.' SecondBite delivers more than 50 million meals each year to charities including soup kitchens, community centres, youth groups and women's shelters. The charity's chief executive, Daniel Moorfield, said demand for food relief was rising – particularly in winter, when people are forced to choose 'between heating and eating'.
Sky News AU
36 minutes ago
- Sky News AU
Swedish man who grew up in Queensland divides internet over claim Australians tend to ‘not value' education
A Swedish man has divided the internet after claiming Australians value education and 'knowledge for the sake of knowing' less than those living in Europe. The man, who spent time growing up in Queensland, asked the subreddit 'Ask an Australian' on popular social media site Reddit 'what is the cause of Australian anti-intellectualism?' 'In my experience, people in Australia tend to not value education so much. When they do, it's usually because it leads to a higher-paying job,' the post read. 'Knowledge for the sake of knowing is not really valued, the dominating idea being that education only matters if it can be capitalised,' "Very few read books in their free time," he added. The man prefaced his question and said he loves Australia, and does not wish to offend Aussies. 'This is just one aspect of Australian society,' he said. The post has since gained more than 2,500 upvotes on Reddit, and almost 1,500 people have responded to the man's question. Many commenters seemed to agree with the man, with the most popular response speaking on most Australians pursuing education for higher pay. 'Most people get an education for jobs,' the comment said. 'Until recently you could get an extremely well-paying job in Australia with minimal, if any, education, mostly through mining. This led to a lot of people dismissing education as pointless, useless and expensive,' another explained. Another popular response said the issue is most prevalent amongst high schoolers, and said they care more about 'fitting in' than education. 'It doesn't pay to be scholastic or otherwise different or you get mocked. Sad really, and this often carries forward into everyday life,' one comment said. 'I noticed in school that the smart kids who tried hard were more prone to being bullied,' said another. Similarly, other redditors said schools tend to value sporting endeavours higher than academic ones. 'In my home town, if you didn't play some sort of sport you were a nobody,' one reply said. Others pointed out Tall Poppy syndrome may be another reason less Australians pursue knowledge for the sake of knowing. 'Some of the most intelligent people I know come across as 'average'. It's part of Australian culture to not make a scene as we tend to cut down tall poppies,' one replied. 'The good ole tall poppy syndrome – when people excel, especially intellectually, they are cut down from others who are envious or don't stand out in anything,' read another reply.
SBS Australia
37 minutes ago
- SBS Australia
Newsflash: 23 June 2025
Independent news and stories connecting you to life in Australia and Assyrian-speaking Australians. SBS World News Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service Watch now
