Tag: Marmite

Oxo

When I was little, visiting my great-grandmother’s kitchen was like stepping into a world of culinary wonders and comforting aromas. One of the most fascinating objects in that kitchen was a small, shiny Oxo cube. To my young eyes, it was a magical ingredient, almost like a culinary gemstone wrapped in foil. My great-grandmother would use it to transform water into a rich, savory broth, adding depth to her soups and stews. I would watch in awe as the little cube dissolved, filling the air with a mouthwatering scent that seemed to embody the essence of home-cooked comfort.

The Oxo cube has an interesting backstory that extends beyond the kitchen. It was originally developed in the late 19th century by a German chemist named Justus von Liebig. Liebig was a pioneer in the field of organic chemistry and was particularly interested in nutrition. He created a concentrated meat extract, which was initially marketed as a medicinal product. This “meat tea” was believed to have restorative properties, making it especially popular among the sick and malnourished. It was considered a valuable source of nourishment at a time when access to fresh meat could be limited, and the extract was used in hospitals and even recommended for the weak or convalescing.

Liebig’s extract eventually evolved into the Oxo cube. The product became more widely accessible and was marketed as a convenient way to add flavor to dishes. What started as a health product transformed into a culinary staple, beloved by home cooks around the world for its ability to enhance the taste of everyday meals. We can also thank Liebig for indirectly giving us the savory delight of Marmite, a product that owes its existence to his pioneering work in food chemistry.

It’s amazing to think that something as simple as a little cube can have such a rich history, bridging the gap between medicine and cuisine. The Oxo cube in my great-grandmother’s kitchen was more than just a flavor enhancer; it was a connection to the past and a testament to how food and medicine have been intertwined throughout history. It’s a reminder that even the most ordinary things can have extraordinary stories behind them, adding a little magic to our everyday lives.

Love it or hate it, doctors used to prescribe Marmite

Marmite is a savoury spread eaten on toast and sandwiches. It is made from concentrated yeast extract, manufactured from spent brewer’s yeast—a by-product of the beer brewing process.

Marmite became popular with the convergence of World War 1 and the discovery of vitamins in the early twentieth century. British troops carried Marmite in their ration packs as a source of B vitamins.

Then in the 1930s, medical researcher Lucy Wills made an intriguing observation. While in India, Wills studied a type of anaemia in pregnancy, then referred to as ‘pernicious anaemia of pregnancy.’ She noticed that economically disadvantaged women in Bombay were more prone to the condition, suggesting that the anaemia was probably some nutritional deficiency. Pure liver extracts (vitamin B12) treated true pernicious anaemia but did not reverse ‘pernicious anaemia of pregnancy.’ Wills speculated that there was some other nutritional factor missing. The mystery nutrient was known as the ‘Wills Factor’.

Lucy Wills then experimented on animals to find a dietary cure. She discovered that yeast extracts could prevent and cure the anaemia she was studying. And the cheapest source of this extract was Marmite.

Later, in the 1940s, the mystery ingredient that used to be known as the ‘Wills Factor’ was discovered to be folate (the natural form of folic acid). Marmite provides nearly 50% of the recommended daily allowance of folate per serving.