Archive for November 30th, 2007
Would-be smuggler home free
November 30, 2007I think I’ve just been saved from a life of crime.
Maybe I would have or maybe I wouldn’t have, but I was considering smuggling Vegemite into the United States when my wife and I fly there next month. I was already dreading going through Customs in San Francisco.
The need for authentic Aussie Christmas gifts was behind my wild and reckless plans. The last time we went home, we took small samples of Tim Tams, an iconic Australian cookie … woops, I mean biscuit. I didn’t want to Tim Tam twice, so I eyed the Vegemite display in our local Coles supermarket.
I’ve discovered a real taste for the brown, salty, yeast-based spread that so many down under folks view as a brekkie (breakfast) staple and snack food. It took me two years to give it a fair go, but now I agree that, on buttered toast, it’s really good.
About a year ago, we read lots of stories about a ban on Vegemite in the US because of its foliate content. Aussies and New Zealanders (Kiwis) were having their life-supporting jars taken away by Customs agents, we read, and there was a lot of gnashing of teeth among expatriates living in America.
Fearing condiment confiscation or worse if I proceeded with my scheme, I sent a message to a Yahoo Group for expats, ozinamerica, to inquire about Read the rest of this entry »