Mish Mash Dictionary of Marmite

I wonder if like me and thousands of other British expats around the world you enjoy Marmite? Maybe also like myself you find it difficult to come by supplies of this "tar in a jar." Well I can't help you with the supply problems but I can recommend a new book written by a British Expat all about the mysterious compound that you either love or hate.

Maggie Hall, a retired Fleet Street journalist and British expatriate living in Washington DC, has just published "Mish Mash Dictionary of Marmite. Here is a short resume of the book that Maggie kindly sent me to share with you.

"Mish Mash Dictionary of Marmite reveals the grip it has on palates - and minds - around the world. Whatever you thought you’d never see linked to Marmite is here.

From the student who got a good history degree based on her dissertation about the black-goo, to the astronaut who picked it as his ‘comfort food’ on his shuttle flight. And how about the American family who set up a website to sell nothing but Marmite. Or, the star London chocolatier whose best seller is a Marmite stuffed truffle and the Parisian boutique hotel that serves it for breakfast, alongside the confiture for the croissants, or the milkshake chain whose best-seller is the Marmite one. Not to mention the science lesson to be learnt - and the practical joke to be played - when beaten Marmite turns white!

And this riddle highlights the diverse entries found within its 207 pages: what do beri-beri, boils and brill have in common? They're all vastly improved by the mighty- M. Marmite saved many POWs, in both world wars, from the ravages of beriberi; in years gone by doctors recommended a hearty intake of it to clear up boils; and now a top dish at a Michelin One Star restaurant in Nottingham is grilled Cornish brill, smeared with the stuff!

The Mish-Mash Dictionary of Marmite - which is illustrated with 27 cartoon-sketches - is jam-packed with all manner of 'entries', from the informative to the entertaining, from the trivial to the historic, the serious to the silly. And talking of ‘jam’ - it gets a mention. One of the many tales the book tells is the one behind the Marmite Song (yes, there is one), which in turn reveals how jam and Marmite go together. In the supermarket!"

The book has already received several reviews and featured in articles in The Independent and Sun. It even got a mention during an episode of the satirical quiz programme, "Have I got News for You," on BBC TV, along with other media in the UK and Europe.

Now I don't know about you but I think the book sounds like a great idea for a gift. Perhaps for a British expat in some far flung corner of the World missing their Marmite, or even for those hard to please relatives or friends back home in the UK. You can find out all the details on how to purchase The Mish Mash Dictionary of Marmite here.

The author has also kindly agreed to be interviewed here so hopefully in the next day or two I can share some detail on what makes Maggie tick, how she became an expatriate and what led her to write the book.

By the way I copied the image from Maggie's web site, take a close look at the "ingredients" on the jar!