Breakfasts around the world: In Australia, being denied vegemite is grounds for suing

+ World Breakfasts around the world: In Australia, being denied vegemite is grounds for suing August 2, 20268:08 AM ET Heard on Weekend Edition Sunday By Kristina Kukolja Breakfasts around the world: In Australia, being denied vegemite is grounds for suing Listen &middot; 3:19 3:19 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5896064/nx-s1-9872371" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript As part of our series on breakfasts from around the world, we take a look at Vegemite, the iconic salty, yeasty spread popular in Australia. Sponsor Message Transcript AYESHA RASCOE, HOST: This summer, we're celebrating our favorite meal with NPR's international correspondents - breakfast. And today, we travel with Kristina Kukolja to Australia for a look at their iconic breakfast spread - Vegemite. The sticky, salty condiment is also at the center of an unusual court case. It's also being used in some very untraditional recipes.

+ (SOUNDBITE OF MACHINE HISSING) KRISTINA KUKOLJA, BYLINE: At this busy cafe in central Melbourne, lawyers and businesspeople grab a last-minute coffee before heading to the office. (SOUNDBITE OF MACHINE HISSING) KUKOLJA: Across the road... (SOUNDBITE OF ROAD NOISE) KUKOLJA: ...The Supreme Court is hearing a case that's making headlines. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: A convicted murderer who claims his human rights have been breached because he can't eat Vegemite in prison has been told he won't be served special treatment. KUKOLJA: The local Nine Network reports an inmate is suing the state of Victoria for his right to eat the savory breakfast spread Vegemite, reportedly banned because it could be used to brew alcohol behind bars. The prisoner argues his rights have been violated because he can't enjoy his culture. For decades, the thick, black condiment made from yeast extract has come to be synonymous with Australia, its intensely salty flavor long the subject of debate of how generously it should be spread on a slice of toast. JAMIE CALLISTER: You've got to be careful. Too much, if you're a first-time user, is not going to end well. KUKOLJA: That's Jamie Callister, whose grandfather, food scientist Cyril Callister, invented Vegemite in Melbourne after the first world war when stocks of the imported British yeast spread Marmite ran out. For Jamie, it brings back memories of his childhood family meals at home. CALLISTER: Much to Mum's horror, she'd make something, and Dad'd be lathering Vegemite underneath it like some people use tomato sauce. So sort of the go-to product. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED CHILDREN: (Singing) We're happy little Vegemites, as bright as bright can be. KUKOLJA: In the 1950s, this TV jingle made Vegemite a household staple in Australia. More recently, some restaurant chefs have gone further - to experiment by adding it to traditional pasta and curry dishes. At the New Gold Mountain bar in downtown Melbourne, it's being used to create a surprising cocktail... (SOUNDBITE OF COCKTAIL SHAKER SHAKING) KUKOLJA: ...Carefully crafted by bartender Kiamba (ph). KIAMBA: So I basically just burn a bunch of bread, and then I soak that in the gin. KUKOLJA: Then in goes something called a Vegemite reduction. KIAMBA: I boil down Chardonnay until pretty much all of the alcohol content is gone. And then I add a nice hunk and scoop of Vegemite into that until that all melts down into one homogeneous mixture. KUKOLJA: Like in a scientific laboratory, butter and other ingredients are cooked, strained, cooled and infused... (SOUNDBITE OF COCKTAIL POURING INTO GLASS) KUKOLJA: ...To pour a drink resembling a dirty martini that its creator says evokes a familiar morning ritual. KIAMBA: It tastes like you're eating Vegemite with butter on toast. So when you drink it, you immediately get that nice, like, yeasty tang of Vegemite. KUKOLJA: One for the curious, but perhaps not the fainthearted. For NPR News, I'm Kristina Kukolja in Melbourne, Australia. (SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC) Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. Facebook Flipboard Email Read & Listen Home News Culture Music Podcasts & Shows Connect Newsletters Facebook Instagram Press Public Editor Corrections Transcripts Contact & Help About NPR Overview Diversity NPR Network Accessibility Ethics Finances Get Involved Support Public Radio Sponsor NPR NPR Careers NPR Shop NPR Extra Terms of Use Privacy Your Privacy Choices Text Only Sponsor Message Sponsor Message Become an NPR sponsor (function () { var loadPageJs = function () { (window.webpackJsonp=window.webpackJsonp||[]).push([[22],{310:function(e,n,o){o.p=NPR.serverVars.webpackPublicPath,Promise.all([o.e(1),o.e(2),o.e(3),o.e(4),o.e(80)]).then((e=>{o(15),o(769),o(155),o(176),o(93),o(447),o(254),o(128),o(130),o(754),o(175),o(755),o(255),o(78),o(773)}).bind(null,o)).catch(o.oe)},782:function(e,n,o){e.exports=o(310)}},[[782,0]]]); }; if (document.readyState === 'complete') { loadPageJs(); } else { window.addEventListener('load', function load() { window.removeEventListener('load', load, false); loadPageJs(); }); } })();