Jul 10,2019
Marmite is a fermented food made primarily from yeast by-products created during the beer-making process. In the United Kingdom, where it originated, Marmite is considered a soul food and has been eaten for centuries. In Japan, however, it is largely unknown.
To learn more about Marmite, we spoke with Wada Wakako, a Japan Fermentation Culture Association-certified instructor and a nutritionist / food coordinator who runs the Les Anges Blancs cooking class. She shared her insights into Marmite’s distinctive traits and gave us recipes that make the salty Marmite more palatable.
Marmite has a long history, dating back to before 1680, around the same time that beer began to be brewed.
“Even among people who know of Marmite, many may not realize that it is a fermented food. UK Marmite is made by adding salt to the yeast produced as a by-product during beer brewing, then boiling it down with a little sugar to mellow the flavor.
“Australia has a similar product called Vegemite, but it contains vegetable additives instead of sugar. The primary ingredient of both products is sediment left over from beer brewing. While eating residue may not sound appealing, the yeast is the same kind of by-product as saké lees from the saké brewing process. It feels a bit closer to home if you view it like this.”
Marmite is unmistakable because of its dark brown, sticky appearance, pungent smell, and pronounced taste. Perhaps you may have received a jar of Marmite as a souvenir from overseas.
“In the UK, it’s often spread on toast or added to soups and simmered dishes. I once thought people ate it for health reasons, but when I asked my English friends, they all said they eat it because it’s delicious.”
For people not used to eating Marmite, it may feel a bit off-putting to eat it on its own. Wada advises the uninitiated to “try spreading some Marmite on bread, topping it with cheddar cheese, and then toasting it. This will make the taste mellower and easier to eat.”
Of course, Marmite has more going for it than just tasting good. Because it is a fermented food, it has health benefits too.
Nutritionist and food coordinator Wada Wakako
For example, a higher metabolism can have these longed-for benefits.
“A better, healthy metabolism means more active cellular metabolism, which sustains the health of your skin and hair. Furthermore, when Marmite’s yeast is broken down in the intestines, it produces oligosaccharides that increase good bacteria in the gut, helping to improve your overall intestinal health.”
Wada says to get the most from Marmite’s nutritional benefits, “it’s important to combine it with other ingredients, such as using it in cooking, rather than having Marmite on its own.” And it seems there’s a little secret to using Marmite, with its unusual taste, in cooking.
“Marmite is high in salt and has a dark color, so I can’t recommend using a large amount of it at once. And because its taste is so powerful, mixing it with salted koji or pairing it with olive oil or something with a strong smell like garlic oil makes it more appetizing.
“The key advantage of Marmite is just a tiny bit adds a real depth of flavor. I recommend adding a little to miso soup or using it as a substitute for douchi fermented black beans in Chinese dishes like mapo tofu or zhajiangmian [noodles served with fried bean sauce]. Once you start using it like this as a kind of hidden taste, you can enjoy Marmite without overdoing it.”
Marmite is more versatile than one might imagine. Incidentally, although its primary ingredient comes from beer, Marmite contains no alcohol so you can serve it to kids without concern. Experiment with a small amount and as you get used to the flavor, you can gradually increase the quantity and enjoy arranging it in your own way.
Some of you may have bought Marmite as a souvenir in the UK or received a jar from a friend. But you aren’t sure how to use it except on toast and you are worried about not using it up. For readers like you, we had Wada show us some easy-to-try recipe variations that use Marmite.
Wada adds. “Try adding a touch of mustard when serving. It takes the taste to a whole new level.” This recipe used green beans and red bell peppers to give the dish more color, but you can use other types of vegetables too.
As a bonus, here is another simple recipe for roasted vegetables served with a Marmite-based sauce.
Wada suggests that you try adding the roasted vegetables to the pot with the Marmite tomato sauce, heat for three minutes or so, and toss the vegetables to coat them for a delicious result. The Marmite tomato sauce goes very well with grilled meat or fish as well as roasted vegetables.
As a fermentation professional, she serves as a full-time instructor at the Japan Fermentation Culture Association and runs the Les Anges Blancs cooking school, where she teaches classes on natural yeast bread and sweets as well as fermented veggie dishes (holistic food therapy). Through these activities, she shares the joy of creating food with one’s own hands and the energy it brings to the minds and bodies of women who strive to live their best lives.
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