Made from yeast extract, a by-product of brewing beer, Marmite (or Vegemite as it's known in Australia) is essentially the slurry from the bottom of the barrel that most breweries just throw away. It's a sticky brown paste with a concentrated, salty flavor that's usually spread on toast or eaten with cheese. It's just one of those foods that someone loves or hates to eat.
The product that was to become Marmite was invented in the late 19th century when German scientist Justus von Liebig discovered that brewer's yeast could be concentrated, bottled and eaten. In 1902 the Marmite Food Extract Company was formed in Burton upon Trent, Staffordshire, England, with Marmite as its main product and Burton as the site of the first factory. Concerning its nutritional content, it is rich in B vitamins, iron and protein.