RHYS BOWEN: I’m going to say something controversial today: I love Marmite.
Do you all know what Marmite is? It’s a brown, gooey stuff that tastes … well…strong and salty. I can’t really describe it. You spread it on toast. You use it to enhance soups and gravies. It’s actually a yeast byproduct, invented over a hundred years ago when brewers wanted to come up with something to do with their left-over yeast after the beer was fermented.
But I think, seriously, that one has to have been born with the Marmite gene. I don’t know of any non-Brits who like it. And yet my children, all born in America, all eat it all the time. I’m not sure about my grandchildren. When we first got to the States I tried serving it to new friends. One of my favorite things is to toast a marmite sandwich and then to grill one side of it with cheese on top. The result is heaven to me. To my friends not so much. I watched their faces as they tried to struggle through it, occasionally daring to ask, “What exactly is this?”
John and I often have it for breakfast, after the obligatory sardines (another acquired taste). But I’ve yet to come across the Yank who exclaims “Marmite? I tried it in London and now I can’t get enough of it.”
I’m also a big fan of liver. John adores kidneys. We also tried serving these to American friends and got looks of horror. I have to say that after my daughter majored in biology I became less keen on kidneys. Now I know exactly what they do.
I’m sure there are plenty of foods that other people love but I hate. Candied yams, for example. Yuck. I’ve never tried tripe but Mexicans adore menudo. I do like sweetbreads but I’m never cooking them myself. It’s so fiddly and time consuming. So I’d love to know if there is a food you adore but nobody else does.
HALLIE EPHRON: So interesting! Yes, marmite tastes to me the way the inside of a tin can smells.
I love freshly made chopped chicken liver. Essential ingredient: chicken fat. I save chicken fat trimmings in the freezer until I have enough. Then try to find fresh chicken liver in the supermarket – often unavailable. My chopped chicken liver has lots of onion and hard boiled egg in it, and I hand chop it in with a chopper I inherited from my mother-in-law and in a bowl my grandmother used. It’s SO delicious! And I confess I’ve never had a decent version from a deli or restaurant. Theirs always taste…old.
LUCY BURDETTE: I’m sure we must have eaten Marmite in Australia, but I don’t remember loving or hating it. But chicken livers, no thank you. That and lamb–everyone says “oh but you haven’t tasted my recipe.” But I don’t care for either one, doesn’t matter how much onion and rosemary you tuck around the edges. On the other hand, not everyone loves my favorite, candied jalapenos.
JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Lucy, I’ve come to believe lamb is like licorice - you either love it or hate it, no inbetween. (I love the former and can’t eat or drink anything flavored with anise.)
The only singular thing I seem to eat is peanut butter and pickle open-faced sandwiches. Not pickle as in Branston Pickle (although I do love that.) I mean toast, smeared with natural peanut butter, and topped with slices of dill or kosher pickle. Spare me the pregnancy jokes; I’ve heard them all.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: Marmite. I have never tasted it, and I have to say it sounds pre-tty horrible. I do love chopped liver, though, SO yummy. With onion and eggs, yes. YUM.
I love licorice candy, red and black. Lamb? Lamb? Rack of lamb is the best thing in the world. Truly.
But I have never and will never have baked beans. Ah. How could anyone eat those? Or lima beans. Gah. Or poached eggs. I cannot even think about poached eggs.
I do sometimes eat matzo when it’s not Passover. It’s delicious, even with nothing on it. Does that count?
DEBORAH CROMBIE: Marmite, Rhys! I have to confess that even having lived in Scotland and England, and having been married to a Scot for almost fifteen years, I never developed a taste for Marmite. To me it tastes the way B vitamins smell–not appealing at all. I think you might be right about it being a taste that has to be acquired early.
I do love chicken livers and sometimes will saute them until they are crispy on the outside but still pink on the inside, and eat them on toast with butter and salt. Poor man's pate–yum. And I adore sweetbreads, but never cook them because no one else will eat them.
RHYS: I think lamb is also an acquired taste. It's a staple of Sunday lunch in England so I grew up liking it. But I also love chicken livers. I saute in butter then add sherry and flambe. Spread them on toast. Yum
Also like baked beans but not lima. And my poached eggs have to have firm white and slightly gooey yolk
No, thank you, to the marmite . . . but I do like chicken livers and lamb; I’ll happily eat the licorice, the candied yams, lima beans, and baked beans. I'll eat poached eggs, but I seldom make them because scrambled eggs are my favorite.
ReplyDeleteI’m a sweet pickle person, so no, thank you, to the dill pickles on peanut butter; I'm not a fan of jalapenos [too hot] so I’d pass on the candied ones . . . .
I'm convert to candied jalapenos since Lucy gave me a jar of them. On a grilled cheese sandwich!
DeleteSweet pickles versus dill pickles! An entire blog is here. I love half-sours the best.
DeleteMy mother, a thrifty housewife, used to serve us chicken livers when we were children in the early 1960s. I wept, sincerely thinking she was serving us something akin to "dog doo," and could not eat them. But in those days, lima beans also made my gorge rise. I've never tried chicken livers again though I'm sure I've had a stray lima. As for lamb, we ate it for Sunday dinners after church and I always adored it. We got to choose our birthday meal and I always chose lamb. I've now raised lamb for twenty years. In selling my freezer lambs, I have discovered to my surprise that it is one of those foods that cause strong reactions. I live in a part of the country where few have ever tried it.
ReplyDeleteMy go-to recipe for special occasions is lamb. Butterflied leg marinated in onions and garlic and lemon juice and oil, grilled and served rare with Greek lemon sauce. Lamb right now (along with beef) costs a fortune so it'll be awhile before I make it again.
DeleteLamb us an acquired taste, I think. I'd never had it until my future mother-in-law served a roast leg when I was a guest. She was such a good cook that I liked it right away, but I have had it not as well prepared and wasn't as interested in it.
DeleteCome to think of it, I have a couple packs of lamb chops in the freezer. Thanks for the reminder!
I always look for local lamb, so it's to the meat counter I go. Yes, it's pricey so it's for special, once or twice a year meals.
DeleteLove eating local lamb. In the winter, braised lamb shanks in red wine, herbs and beef stock is a staple meal. Roast leg of lamb around Easter is also a typical dish.
DeleteOh, I can imagine poor little you, truly terrified of what you thought you were being served. Awww. I had the same reaction the ham salad, and cannot in the blog (since you may be reading at mealtime) describe what it looked like to me. I have never had it, then or since. xxx
DeleteMy parents were big time cooks. My father flew the Pacific area during WWII and had tons of Spam and mutton. We never had Spam in our house, as a result, and all lamb was trimmed of every possible bit of fat. Any lamb fat rendering would trigger a "mutton" reaction in my father. But he did like lamb, within his treatment limits.
DeleteHe also liked calve brains, tripe kidneys, and such. The rest of us refused.
I've tried Vegamite, not Marmite. I tossed the jar out. Lamb? Not so much, but I've never met a "part" that I don't adore -- liver, kidneys, sweetbreads oh yes! Tongue!
ReplyDeleteAnd livers and gizzards! Deep fried and crispy.
And beans of every time and variety.
Steak and Kidney pie, absolutely.
Unfortunately Julie doesn't partake of parts, so I rarely cook anything just for myself.
I am genetically unable to eat a waffle or pancakes unless topped with a fried egg, firm white and runny yolk, then maple syrup. It's a family thing.
Pancakes with fried egg? Uh... pass. Same for me with fried chicken on a waffle. Feels like wretched excess.
DeleteDad was a fried egg on pancake with maple syrup person. I will order that at breakfast so I get some protein when I splurge on pancakes in a restaurant.
Delete"Pancakes with fried egg?" I echo. Hmm. Fried egg with maple syrup. I swoon with horror. People are so funny and adorable.
DeleteSorry, no gizzards!
DeleteI'll pass on the pancakes with fried eggs.
DeleteObviously few of you are from the south. I’d no more have pancakes without eggs than turkey without dressing. Xo
DeleteI've had marmite, and I liked it, but I also like nutritional yeast sprinkled on salad or popcorn. Braggs Liquid Aminos is in that family, too, an alternative to soy sauce.
ReplyDeleteI used to make chicken liver stroganoff - delish. But I can't abide beef liver. Love lamb. Peanut butter with lettuce (never jelly); maybe I'll try a pickle on it soon. Baked beans but not candied yams. And I have a poached egg for lunch many days!
EDITH: PB with lettuce is a combo I have never heard of. I am definitely in the FB and jam camp or sometime with sliced banana.
DeleteAARGH that should be PB not FB (Facebook)!
DeleteI am an eclectic, adventurous eater but there are definitely foods I CANNOT or WILL NOT EAT!
ReplyDeleteLike JULIA, I hate licorice or anything with anise. I am also in the anti-cilantro camp, it tastes like soap to me...I heard this is genetic. Also, I am not a fan of marshmallows or any cake frosting (too sweet).
But I LOVE the other foods mentioned by the Reds: lamb, kidneys, poached eggs, yum!
Grace, I have to ask : do the trucks in Ottawa complicate your life ? Are you OK?
DeleteDANIELLE: Yes, it is annoying that the protest convoy has blocked off the downtown all week. On the first 2 days, trucks and protestors were travelling on my street since it is one of the main routes to Parliament Hill. My bank, library branch, main shopping mall and grocery store are all closed or inaccessible this week. Most small businesses and restaurants in the Byward Market and Centretown (downtown) remain closed. I went to Giant Tiger and Loblaws for some groceries this week and saw some unmasked shoppers inside. Security will not stop them.
DeleteOh, that is so scary.
DeleteHANK: We are used to peaceful protests but the remaining protestors are hard-core, very aggressive and are harassing people who are just trying to do normal activities. It looks like the larger crowds will be coming back here this weekend. SIGH
DeleteCilantro is funny, isn’t it? I adore it. Munch as I cook
DeleteI love cilantro, Rhys, but Rick hates it--although he's okay with coriander in cooking. My daughter loves cilantro but hates parsley. I LOVE Italian parsley and will just munch on it, or pick it from my herb pots in the garden and eat.
DeleteYou know that picky eater quiz that wanders around the internet? The only no for me is olives. Except my aging body is beginning to say no to some other foods. Marmite and I have had our time. I made the mistake of spreading too much on the toast, way too salty. There are enough snow bird Canadians that our stores do stock marmite. Might try it again soon. Some how it speaks to winter.
ReplyDeleteCORALEE: I remember taking a similar picky eater quiz and scored 0. I have been willing to try eating new foods at least once.
DeleteOlives?!? I confess there are some that I don't like but the different kinds range so widely in taste.
DeleteI also score very low on that test, Coralee. Adventurous eater here. I won't say I love everything I try, but I'm willing to taste new foods, and even more than once.
DeleteOh, I adore olives, and most pickles too. My grandmother made pickled red cabbage. So yummy
DeleteI have seen that quiz but love olives. But I think olives in the UK and obviously in Europe are so much better than what we get in the US. They seem saltier here. I wonder if they process them differently for the US market.
DeleteI scored high, I am a picky eater
DeleteMarmite, no. Organs? Hard no. Anise...eh. I'm not a fan of black licorice. But I do like lamb. No baked beans, thanks. I like dill pickles and peanut butter, but not together. I don't like "runny" foods so I'll skip the poached eggs - scrambled, please. I have a cilantro threshold - too much and no thanks.
ReplyDeleteI can't think of anything I eat that is truly out there, something that no one else would eat.
I had Marmite back in the early 1970s in England and loved it. Bear in mind, I think anchovies are fun food. I've just begun to see it on store shelves - which is odd, considering all the "normal" things missing from store shelves - and considered buying it to see how it held up on my taste buds. My only hard nos - blood sausage, head cheese, and tripe. Everything else is fair game, and yes to lamb, especially with mint sauce.
ReplyDeleteI love anchovies, too, Kait.
DeleteOne of the events before my son's New Orleans wedding was at Dat Dog, a hot dog restaurant and bar. I ate what I thought was a hot dog and paid the price all night. It was alligator sausage. I've learned to ask the ingredients before eating. I qualify as a careful eater when traveling.
ReplyDeleteBut did it taste good? I see Papadeaux here is advertising fried alligator
DeleteBasically alligator is very tough chicken.. kinda tastes like rattle snake.. Too bad this is not a Jeopardy category.
DeleteI never tried Marmite but I tried Vegemite in Australia and didn’t like it.
ReplyDeleteNo problem with lamb or beans but no jalapeños or hot peppers.
I can’t think of something special that I like but nobody else.
I've never tried Marmite--and I probably never will, given its nature--no nutritional yeast for me, either. My body can't process it without pain.... No to lamb, just didn't grow up eating it and see no reason to start now. Yes to chicken liver--yum! But, no one else will eat them, so I don't cook them--same for beef liver--love it but don't cook it at home. And yes to licorice--but a little goes a long way with me. Hard no on poached eggs, cilantro, sweetbreads, tongue, etc. When I was a kid, I loved mayo sandwiches--just mayo on a slice of bread.
ReplyDeleteI've never tried Marmite. Not a big fan of any of the "parts", and I'm fine with baked beans but not a fan of lima beans. I grew up having a poached egg every morning for breakfast, so they seem extremely normal to me. Love cilantro. I can't think of anything I eat that is unique to me. I guess a few of my most offbeat choices are that I love the taste of miso and could eat it with a spoon, (though of course I don't.) I know many people dislike beets, but I love them, whether pickled or fresh.
ReplyDeleteI love beets, especially the fresh ones.
DeleteI LOVE beets, both fresh and roasted ones.
DeleteMy sister makes a fabulous miso salad dressing. I also love it!
DeleteCount me as a big fan of beets. Also miso soup
DeleteLove beets, any way you fix them. But Rick hates them. Sigh.
DeleteMarmite is a staple in my cupboard -- on cold toast with lots of butter: Yummy! But my American-born partner cannot abide it. I come from British stock, so that proves Rhys's point.
ReplyDeleteA hard no on kidneys. I've tried sweetbreads unknowingly; delicious until I was told what I was eating. The mind is a powerful thing when it comes to food and eating it!
Once I was served a delicious dish. I asked what it was and was told calf brains. Then I could hardly swallow it!
DeleteYes, my experience exactly, except I was a young adult and had been invited out for dinner by a chef. He had ordered for me.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I remember one food most of you have probably NOT tried. (I hate autocorrect! It changed not to now in the deleted post)
ReplyDeleteDried shredded squid: it is an Asian snack I loved eating as a kid.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dried_shredded_squid
No, thank you. xoxo
DeleteHANK: I understand! xoxo
DeleteYes! I love that, Grace. A drinking snack in Japan, along with crunchy dried anchovies!
DeleteEDITH: Yay, I should have known you would have eaten this when you were in Japan.
DeleteI love squid, so would probably like the dried, shredded snack too. Why not??
DeleteNo thank you. I do like fried calamari
DeleteI was dubious, the scotch consumed at that time did help.
DeleteWelp, that qualifies as a food threshold for me, Grace. I don't think I'll try dried shredded squid. I do like squid, including squid ink (black!) pasta.
ReplyDeleteCould Marmite or Vegemite be used to flavor stews and such? I might try that kind of use. Can't say I've ever had either, though. However, when our German exchange student came to us she brought, among other treats, an enormous bottle of Maggi, another salty condiment. I used it for all kinds of experiments for years, and finally pitched it before fully using it up. Vanessa actually smacked her lips when she gave it to us!
KAREN: Dried shredded squid is an acquired taste for sure, lol! But I also love eating calamari or grilled squid, and squid ink pasta.
DeleteGrace, I have a great recipe for salmon pasta, with garlic, peccorino romano, halved grape tomatoes and basil, that I've made for a Halloween party with black linguine. It was a huge hit. Creepy looking, but delicious.
DeleteWhen I was pregnant the first time one of the things I craved was lima beans. I could eat bowlsful of them, swimming in butter. Still love them, too. I think it was the protein that I craved.
DeleteYes you can flavor stews with it. And I love Maggi in soups
DeleteKAREN: That salmon pasta sounds yummy. I can see that it would look a bit creepy as a Halloween party dish.
DeleteWhen I was in college we had to do food demonstrations and one girl made chicken liver stroganoff. One of the best things I have ever tasted! I used to eat lamb and loved it, my mother's lamb stew especially. But now I just can't face even the idea of eating lamb. I will occasionally eat ham and try not to think about pigs.
ReplyDeleteI've never had the opportunity to try marmite and that doesn't bother me at all! Sardines are one food I will not eat. Baked beans, real ones, not the ones in cans, I love. I like limas, too, but not canned.
Ack! Sorry I missed this post. Deadlines! Having never had Marmite, I don’t have much to offer except I’ll try anything once. I am the opposite of a picky eater. Give me all the food. LOL.
ReplyDeleteMy son made me try marmite and I think it tastes like solid soy sauce. I don't really like salt so it's not for me. I also really dislike avocados and shrimp. I do love licorice, which a lot of people dislike. And I love kidney beans. I was surprised how many people don't like them.
ReplyDeleteI understand Marmite is a love it or hate it thing. (Similar to raisins in butter tarts, which Canadians will all take a side on.)
ReplyDeleteAt Bouchercon 2017, in Toronto, I was running the Silent/Noisy Auctions, and an Aussie writer had donated a basket of Australian books and goodies, including a bottle of Vegemite. The winning bidder didn't want it, and asked who would like it. But the auctioneer said, "No you don't" and held it up for re-auction. It raised $35. Go figure.
It was $25 and I bought it. Lol
DeleteOh, thanks for that, Ann.
DeleteI hope you enjoyed it. :^)
Love Marmite, so it’s Rhys, Amanda and me against the world. Used to love Bovril too but that’s off the market now. My childhood memories When traveling by boat - Hot Marmite broth would would be served in cold weather for elevenses on the deck. We would sit huddled in steamer rugs and sip it. Delicious. I would send Olivia to school with Marmite sandwiches which she loves, but the grands don’t like it. I’m good on all the other foods but not keen on licorice nor tripe. Love lamb which I get locally. Delicious shepherds pie.
ReplyDeleteCelia, would Marmite broth taste something like miso soup?
DeleteMarmite broth tastes like any beef broth
DeleteBut I’m annoyed to find no more Bovril. Hot Bovril and toast when I was sick as a child
Celia, Rhys: I am delighted be in your illustrious gustatory company on this one! #MarmiteLovers
DeleteRHYS: I wonder why you can't buy Bovril in the US. I can still buy Bovril via Amazon in Canada. https://www.amazon.ca/Bovril-Extract-Beef-125g/dp/B00MWV1XVU?language=en_CA
DeleteNote that it is paired with Marmite as a buying option on the same page!
I heard! that Bovril had been taken off the market because of ingredients. I’m wondering if it was an EU thing. Grace thanks for the tip. I’ll see if I can buy some. Karen, miso is a good comparison but I don’t feel it had the depth of flavor brought by Marmite. I always used to use it as part of making gravy when I did roast beef.
DeleteWriting first and then reading. I grew up eating beef liver with onions cooked in bacon fat, leg of lamb, and peanut butter and pickle sandwiches, though my pickle is sweet pickle relish. Haven't had liver , beef or chicken, in years. Leg of lamb is a bit much for one but when my sister is in town I'll find a nice couple of chops since her husband doesn't like lamb. I like many pickled items but not sure if I could eat the jalapenos, the heat would be the turn off. I like cottage cheese with molasses. It was part of Granddad's lunch. Just thought of it - I will eat liverwurst sandwiches with yellow mustard and pickle relish but it's one those things that I want for a while and then I'm done with it. Yes to baked beans but I'll eat lima beans if in front of me but won't go out of way to make them. Eggs. Break the yolks and I'm just fine. I don't like runny yolks and, please, no soft boiled eggs - yuck. Yes licorice, not sure about fennel and no to asparagus.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting. I've never heard of this. While I don't think I'll try it on toast just yet maybe I'll try adding it to a soup.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed this post so much! Have never tried Marmite. Ilike Nutella on toast though. Brought up on Mennonite food, pork hocks and saurkraut; pigtails in BBQ sauce; peanut butter and almost anyting - pickles, banana, never tried it with lettuce. Like liver of any kind but nothing hot as the only time I ever tried jalapeno my mouth was numb for a week! Any kind of eggs and seafood, yum!
ReplyDeleteI don’t think I’d go for the pigtails, Donna
DeleteNo limas, organ meat, lamb, etc. I've never tried either of the 'mites but my doll destroying niece and nephew like one or both of them. I do like icy cold raw oysters with a squirt of lemon juice. Yum.
ReplyDeleteA relative loves Marmite even though she was born in the USA. Though I recall she travelled to Europe with her parents before she was a year old. It looks like I'm the only person in my family who does NOT like cheesecake at all. LOL. I received a cheesecake in the mail as a gift and I gave it to a neighbor who loves cheesecake.
ReplyDeleteTrying to think of which food I love that no one else loves. I think I am the only person in my family who loves pasta. I think it's that 1 percent Italian in my DNA makeup? I am not a fan of lamb though I loved the lamb kebab at a Mediterrean restaurant. As a child, I loved sweets. I was not a fan of vegetables. When I lived in England that summer, I started eating more vegetables and I still eat vegetables.
Diana
We have a German deli in Dallas, run by the same family for years, which my mom loved. We would shop there every week or two. She loved the liverwurst, and I would always get the thin sliced beef tongue. Delish. Rick and I like lamb but my daughter doesn't, so we never make lamb for family gatherings. We will have local lamb chops a couple of times in season as a treat.
ReplyDeletePeople's food likes and dislikes are so interesting. How much is genetic, how much broadly cultural, and how much from immediate family exposure or prejudice? My father hated cucumbers and beets, my mom hated watermelon and anything cooked with bananas. I like them all!
Deborah,
DeleteWhen I was a kid, the cucumbers were the only part from the salad that I liked and would eat. LOL. I still love cucumbers. I remember they had cucumber sandwiches when I lived in England.
Diana
never had marmite.
ReplyDeleteDespite living in England, I never had Marmite. LOL.
DeleteI tried marmite decades ago in England--much preferred Nutella on toast. It seemed like gravy burnt down to sticky residue that requires overnight soaking and a scrub brush to remove. I also believe it's a second cousin to fish sauce
ReplyDelete