Alongside other Aussie inventions such as wifi, polymer bank notes, spray-on skin and countless medical advancements, I think it’s fair to say that the greatest gem Australia has offered the world is Vegemite.
What a slap in the face it is then to hear that Sweden has placed our great pride and joy in their Disgusting Food Museum.
We all know that Aussie foods get a tough rap overseas, with people claiming that Tim Tams aren’t the best biscuit ever made in the history of the world – who do they think they are? Some even say that fairy bread is ‘gross if you think about it’. Really? Many foreigners scream in outrage that kangaroo – our national animal – is on the menu, despite it being both delicious and sustainable.
Even the one dessert we all agree is delicious, Pavlova, has been claimed by the Kiwis, though I personally believe the debate has not been resolved.
But things have now gone too far. Samuel West, co-curator of the museum (or ‘room of lies’ as I like to refer to it) has told the ABC that despite his personal love of Vegemite, it would be a ‘traumatic food experience’ if someone dips into Vegemite while expecting the same gustatory experience as a saccharine spoonful of Nutella.
So, alongside displays of various fermented and rotting meats, including half-developed duck foetuses, fermented herrings and maggot-infested Sardinian cheese, stands our beloved spread, witchetty grubs and the harmless musk stick.
If you’re inclined to either visit the museum or host a small protest at the entrance, it’s only open in Sweden until 27 January 2019, or in Los Angeles until 17 February 2019.
Do you agree that Vegemite belongs on the list of the world’s most disgusting foods? What foods do you think should be included?
Related articles:
World’s strangest national dishes
Aussies will eat anything
What if you get sick overseas?
