Australia’s iconic Vegemite spread now comes in a gluten-free version

Vegemite could be viewed as the Australian equivalent of Peppermint Crisp –  a national staple that everyone is pretty much obsessed with. If you’re unfamiliar with the spread, think Marmite – only better (apparently) but let it known that Marmite came first. 

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Both spreads are made from brewers’ yeast which means they’ve always contained gluten. But not anymore! Vegemite announced on Instagram in late February that a gluten-free version is about to hit the shelves. This means it’s now safe to eat if you’re suffering from a gluten intolerance or allergy. Imagine living your whole Australian life with coeliac disease and being told you can now eat Vegemite? 

Evidently the brand had many requests for bringing out a gluten-free alternative and it’s taken them two years to find the right recipe. 

“Our R&D team spent the best part of two years trying to work out how we could crack this formulation,” Vegemite marketing manager, Matt Gray told The Australian Financial Review. 

Interestingly Vegemite only came into existence during World War 1 when Australia couldn’t import Marmite from Britain. So what did they do? They made their own yeasty spread and added in some salt, onion, and celery extracts. That was in 1923 and for the last 96 years, it’s been a staple in every kitchen cupboard Down Under.  In fact, What’s Cooking America claims that 235 jars of Vegemite are produced per minute! 

Have you tasted Vegemite? Let us know what you thought of it by emailing us or tweeting us @Food24!