Marmite, at least the kind manufactured in the United Kingdom and widely available here, is a flavored spread made from yeast extract, salt, vegetable extract, niacin, thiamine, spice extracts, riboflavin, folic acid, and celery extracts. It has a distinctive taste and by the 1990s its advertising played on the fact that when one tastes Marmite, one usually either loves it or hates it. Today in Umlazi, Mrs. Gambushe fed M and me lunch while we worked on more sewing - I tried some Marmite with margarine on a cracker and I suppose I fall in the camp of hating it, but it was worth a shot. I liked its rich saltiness but didn't appreciate the oily consistency (it kind of reminded me of thick, dirty sewing machine lubricant). I have noticed that much of the food I have been served in non-commercial establishments here at homes or centers has been heavy on the margarine. M said the last time they sponsored a cloth workshop when they were in the Western Cape that all of the women wanted margarine and bologna sandwiches instead of the jam ones they had prepared. It seems even more than mayonnaise, margarine is the standard spread used on most any kind of sandwich (including the cheese ones we had today for lunch). Having been a savory/sour taste person most of my life, I have to admit I've been craving some really strong, vinegary mustard lately. Here, however, the main ingredient of standard, non-imported mustard is sugar.
Besides the strong reaction Marmite seems to cause amongst those who taste it, its recent acquisition by Unilever is fascinating. This multi-national corporation has large stakes here in Durban in terms of employment (there is a giant factory off the freeway by Clairwood) and their products dominate several food, home, and personal care markets in Africa. Besides Marmite, the large brands owned by Unilever that dominate here include Flora margarine, Knorr sauce/spice products, Heartbrand ice cream, Sunlight soap (a particular kind only available in Africa), and especially Sunsilk hair products. This last brand has a history of being one of the first large hair care brands to create products and advertising with so-called specially crafted formulas to address the hair "issues" of particular ethnic or cultural groups. Driving through the townships, especially in Umlazi, even the smallest hair salons boast large advertisements for Sunsilk above their doors. I should probably admit I went for the "Curly/Frizzy" formula my first day here, although I suspect the largest difference in the product from its other formulas was in the packaging!
There's actually an interesting history behind Marmite and Vegemite (a similar product developed in Australia). Both products were used by Commonwealth forces in WWI as a dietary supplement due to their high Vitamin B content. It still tastes like shit, though :P My dad and brother love Vegemite, but I can't handle it!
Posted by: Mark | March 04, 2008 at 04:30 PM