Marmite//Random facts

Unknown facts about Marmite

Shedding some light on the black stuff

No other foodstuff has provoked quite as much heated discussion as Marmite. Loved or hated, no-one is legally allowed to have an apathetic reaction to the savoury spread.

Other than the extremely passionate reactions we have towards it, not a lot else is known about the mysterious substance. Until now, of course...

In World War I, it was included in soldier's rations along with spam and condensed milk. Sadly, toast was not provided.

Marmite's name actually comes from a French casserole called Marmite Dieppoise. It's what you can see on the main label on the jar. Confusingly, the real dish is actually made from fish, unlike actual Marmite, of course.

The Marmite that you'd find in New Zealand has high levels of potassium, tastes weaker and is less tangy.

After Jade Goody compared herself to the substance, her funeral included a display of flowers in the shape of a Marmite jar.

In 2009, it was reportedly banned from prisons as inmates were using it to create an alcoholic drink called Marmite Mule as the yeast helps with the fermentation process.

There's a belief that Marmite helps to repel mosquitos although no actual proof to support it.

After Russell Brand moved to America, he was inundated with British fans sending him Marmite as they assumed he would miss it. Ironically, he hates the stuff.

Madonna's worst nightmare is eating a Marmite sandwich as she thinks that it is "vile".

Marmite is a great source of B Vitamins, which help protect the nervous system.

Nigella Lawson included a recipe for Spaghetti with Marmite in her book Kitchen. You can find it here. Gary Rhodes has also used Marmite in his cookbooks.

In 2009, a Marmite-obsessed thief targeted a petrol station and stole 18 jars over a month. Ultimately, the owner stopped stocking it to prevent him striking again.

Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka has a fear of Marmite but he's never dared to actually try it.

33% of Brits love it while 33% hate it. But this means that 34% have no feeling on it whatsoever...

Britney Spears is a surprise fan of Marmite after trying it on a UK tour.

Marmite has also been used as a dietary supplement in prisoner of war camps and was sent to British peacekeepers in Kosovo in 1999 as a morale booster.

There is a restaurant in Windhoek, Namibia called La Marmite yet, opportunity missed, there are no Marmite dishes on the menu!

Annual sales top £25 million, three times that of Bovril.

Both The Rolling Stones and Dido ask for Marmite when they are on tour.

Apparently, if a pregnant woman eats four slices of Marmite on toast a day, there's enough folic acid to reduce the threat of children b0rn with spina bifida.

Although a wide selection of popular Marmite products exist now, two attempts to introduce Oxo-style cubes have both failed in the 30s and the 90s.