Vegemite is the Australian breakfast spread invented in 1922 by chemist Cyril Percy Callister.
Callister developed the dark, savory yeast-extract spread in Melbourne for the Fred Walker Company. It was created partly to use yeast left over from brewing and to provide an Australian alternative to imported Marmite. Vegemite is typically spread very thinly on toast, often with butter.
Its strong salty, savory flavor makes it distinctive, and it is frequently confused with Marmite, a similar yeast-extract spread with British origins. Vegemite’s branding and advertising helped turn it into an Australian cultural symbol, while its production has remained closely linked with Australian food history.