Wednesday, August 9, 2017

What Is Vegemite And Other Fun Facts About Australia


I don't know about you but, when this American thinks of Australia, I imagine a bunch of happy people eating vegemite toast, throwing boomerangs on the beach, while listening to Men At Work's "Down Under", and riding kangaroos home. Of course, I don't really think this is all that Australians do, but, it does sound like a lot of fun!

Thanks to the band, Men At Work, some of us think that no matter how rough, Vegemite can cure practically anything. But, what is it?

Vegemite 


First off, I had no idea this was something that Kraft sold. I'm sure there are other brands out there but I most often see this specific jar in books and online. Everything I read about Vegemite is that it "smells like nothing you ever smelled before" and "tastes like nothing you have ever tasted before". They also point out that it is not a bad smell at all. Just a very different smell. "Unless you've scraped up all of the fond in the bottom of the pan after searing meat or mushrooms and just tasted that alone." Hmmm. That actually doesn't sound so bad. But, could this be good on buttered toast? (The preferred choice for eating Vegemite.)

Meaty, savory, salty, complex. That really sounds interesting and I am trying to find where one could purchase this here in the states. Ok, so what exactly is it? Vegemite is a by-product of the beer making process. The leftover yeast after the beer is fermented is then mixed up with some spices, wheat, vegetables, and salt. Basically, it's a secret that we may never really know. That's ok. I'd still like to try some for myself. If not on buttered toast, maybe for extra flavoring in casserole or stew or crockpot soup? 

Cool Facts For Kids


Australia has the most different species of reptiles than any other place in the world! More than 750 species. 

There are 25 venomous snakes in our world and 20 of those snakes live in Australia. 

You can find the world's largest salt water crocodiles in Northern Australia. They can grow to be as large as 22 ft!

An estimated 25% of the people who live in Australia are actually from other countries. This might be why there are over 200 languages spoken in Australia. (45 of those languages are indigenous.) 

The world's oldest fossil was found in Australia! This fossil is 3.4 billion years old! 

The biggest property in Australia is the size of Belgium! (Could you imagine owning an entire country?)

Kangaroos and emus can not walk backward.

The "outback" is so huge and so remote that the children who live there can not attend a physical school. They learn via video and satellite technology. The kids do get to talk with their friends each day and they meet up for a few weeks each year. 

Australia has over 10,000 beaches. You could visit a new beach every single day for 27 years. 

There are so many fascinating things about Australia! You can find all sorts of videos and books as well as articles and pictures online. My kids and I made an Australian meat pie while we were learning about this awesome place!

A Few More Reasons To Visit Australia 


Australia has over 60 wine regions and around 1.35 trillion bottles of wine are made here. 

You can find the world's longest golf course here, measuring more than 850 miles long! 

The first police force in Australia was made up of the most well-behaved convicts. 

Melbourne was originally called, Batmania. 

Wycliffe Well is a tiny town that claims to be the UFO capital of Australia. Locals will tell you that UFO sightings are quite common here. Maybe because of the two large alien statues? Or maybe just because this town is located in the middle of nowhere, I'm not sure. But, it seems like a fun place to visit! 

You could take a dip in one of the seven wonders of the world, The Great Barrier Reef. The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland, Australia. 

It would take me a week or more to jot down everything that is captivating about this country. If none of these facts are enough to make you call a travel agent, you really should start researching this charming country. 



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