When tourists taste Vegemite for the first time, their initial reaction is usually one of shock.
It has a very strong, bitter and distinct taste that you either love or hate.
But one American man, who has come to love the thick, dark brown paste, discovered something puzzling in a jar he bought several years ago.
Taking to Reddit, he explained that he bought the 220ga jar from a US import shop that has been using it sparingly for quite some time.
“I haven’t used it all yet,” he wrote.
But it was when he pulled out the jar a few days ago that he discovered a date reading “June 23, 2011” on the bottom, learning that the spread “does not expire.”
“I took it out this morning to spread on toast for breakfast. As I ate it, I wondered how long I’ve been in this same jar.
“I looked for an ‘use by’ date, and this is what I saw,” she wrote alongside a photo showing the date under the jar.
“If you’ve ever wondered if it’s true that Vegemite has no expiration date, I can confirm that it’s true.”
The man shared the post on the Reddit community group titled “Australia,” which has nearly 1 million members.
And while he was surprised by the fact, most Australians weren’t phased, with many quick to point out that it’s made from yeast extract and has a high salt content, which acts as a natural preservative.
“It’s 70 percent salt, so you’ll probably have at least 6 changes of Australian prime minister before it stops being effective against bears,” one person joked.
“Vegemite is to Aussies what honey was to the ancient Egyptians. It’ll be cool to unearth a jar from a tomb 2000 years from now and still use it,” another person added.
A third added: “Two things will outlast humanity: 1. Microplastics 2. Vegemite.”
Others went on to reveal how long their Vegemite jars have been around.
“My Vegemite has a Commonwealth Games celebration label on it. Not sure which Commonwealth Games, but it’s definitely not the current one,” wrote one Reddit user.
Another Australian said they found a jar at his grandmother’s house when they were cleaning the house after her death in the late 1980s.
“It’s lived there for over 40 years. We found an old jar of Vegemite, like a jar and a really old-looking retro label. It smelled good, it was a little thicker, but a dip taste with the fingers was fine too…but we threw it away anyway because we’re not that desperate,” they wrote.
However, others warned that Vegemite can bloom if contaminated with butter.
“I hope you scooped the Vegemite out of the bottom to avoid the toxic combination of Vegemite and butter in the jar,” one person wrote.
“All the kids, and Hoges, know this is poison (although it’s perfectly fine to mix it with toast).”
A second person wrote: “Vegemite lasts forever, but the butter that contaminates it to double dip the knife will make it rancid.”
Another warned: “It will only expire if contaminated with small pieces of bread or butter.”
Some suggested scraping off the top layer to avoid eating contaminated bits.