On Wednesday, social media went into overdrive when Vegemite announced a brand new ‘exclusive’ spread dubbed ‘Blend 17’.
The gold-stamped version of the iconic Australian spread costs $7 – double the price of the original – and has been described by its parent company Bega as both an ‘adult’ version and ‘bolder’ than the taste we’ve all come to know and love.
So, to see if this exclusive, ‘high-end’ version really is as ‘refined’ as promised, FEMAIL decided to put the spread to the test in a good old fashioned blind tasting – and the results shocked us all.
To see if this exclusive, ‘high-end’ version really is as ‘refined’ as promised, FEMAIL decided to put the spread to the test in a good old fashioned blind taste test – and the results shocked us all
Wrong: ‘This is the new one, it tastes more buttery and smoother… they’re both good though,’ News Reporter Kate Darvall said of the original spread
Instead of trying the new spread outright, our taste testers were asked to distinguish between the new blend and traditional spread on crackers without knowing which one was which.
It made my my tongue recoil in horror.
And shockingly, all seven tasters were incorrect.
While some admitted they struggled to distinguish the new spread from the original, others praised the original spread, certain it was Blend 17.
While the recipe is the same, the way the spread has been blended is completely different and therefore, is said to have a ‘richer’, ‘bolder’ and more ‘intense’ flavour.
‘This is the new one, it tastes more buttery and smoother… they’re both good though,’ News Reporter Kate Darvall said of the original spread.
Wrong: ‘They taste exactly the same but if I had to guess it would be this one,’ Femail Reporter Anneta Konstantinides also incorrectly guessed
Wrong: Femail Reporter April Glover said the original spread was ‘definitely’ the new one and said it was ‘tangier’ but much the same
‘They taste exactly the same but if I had to guess it would be this one,’ Femail Reporter Anneta Konstantinides incorrectly guessed.
‘When I sat down for this taste test, I was sure that seven months in Australia had prepared me for the most Aussie task of them all. Yet when I bit into each cracker, they tasted exactly the same to my American taste buds – like soy sauce.
‘I’d still eat both of them, but next time with some avo and cheese.’
Senior Picture Researcher, Nadir Kinani, was also convinced the original spread was the new one.
Wrong: ‘I wouldn’t say it’s better but it’s got a creamier texture and it’s not as bitter,’ Senior Picture Researcher, Nadir Kinani, said
Wrong: ‘You could easily give me either of them and say they were the other and I would believe you,’ Femail Reporter Billie Schwab Dunn said
‘I wouldn’t say it’s better but it’s got a creamier texture and it’s not as bitter,’ he said.
The bittery goodness has somehow improved. I welcome it with open arms and mouth.
Femail Reporter April Glover said the original spread was ‘definitely’ the new one and said it was ‘tangier’ but much the same.
‘I thought the new Vegemite was the original as it tasted like the Vegemite that I remember. This being said I did think the original tasted stronger and the new one tasted smoother,’ Femail Reporter Billie Schwab Dunn said.
‘At the time I thought the new one was my favourite but you could easily give me either of them and say they were the other and I would believe you as it was difficult and confusing to be able to tell the difference.’
Wrong: ‘Don’t like the new one, it’s tangier. If you like Vegemite you like the bitterness but this new one tastes tangier and weird and more synthetic,’ News Reporter Sam McPhee said
Customers have been raving about the product online, however some have questioned why they felt the need to introduce a new blend to the market
‘Don’t like the new one, it’s tangier. If you like Vegemite you like the bitterness but this new one tastes tangier and weird and more synthetic,’ News Reporter Sam McPhee said of the original spread.
While all tasters were incorrect, those who tried Blend 17 knowing what it was were quick to offer their opinion on the Australian breakfast favourite – some despising it, others liking it and some completely indifferent.
Customers have been raving about the product online, however some have questioned why they felt the need to introduce a new blend to the market.
The new gold casing offers a classier, more sophisticated take on the traditional red and yellow jar
To add to the exclusivity of this jar, only 450,000 have been made – something that has seen shoppers flooding supermarkets for a chance to get their hands on one.
On their website, Bega writes the following: ‘VEGEMITE BLEND 17 has been crafted for a richer VEGEMITE experience with a bolder finish.
‘Proudly made in Port Melbourne, we’ve crafted something special as a toast to Vegemite which we’ve been making since 1923.
‘In stores nationwide for a limited time only, VEGEMITE BLEND 17 is the perfect gift or stocking filler for the VEGEMITE lover this Christmas.’
The Blend 17 was chosen as a name because in 1923, when Vegemite inventor Cyril Callister invented the spread, he trialed a number of several different blends to find the perfect balance for Vegemite that Australians know and love.