The issue polarises families. They are one or the other. They are either Marmite or Vegemite. Like they are Protestant or Roman Catholic. They are never both.

My family was Marmite. The next door neighbours were Vegemite. It defined us.

But it's also a political or patriotic issue because it divides nations too.

Yet another survey, this time of 7500 people New Zealanders, tells us 53.1 per cent of Kiwis prefer Marmite – they prefer the New Zealand product to the Australian product. But that's a close thing, probably within the margin of error.

And one man's research can easily be debunked by another's.

My research is less than scientific, more anecdotal and randomly solicited during a quick wander round The Weekend Sun office. But interesting none-the-less.

'Marmite – because I am a Kiwi girl,” says the first of the surveyed. Vegemite is made in Australia. So even if she preferred Vegemite the Katikati girl would probably eat Marmite. It's not about taste, it's about national pride.

The Welshman. 'Neither – hate them both.” Apparently they have peanut butter on their toast in the green valleys. Honey peanut butter. How does that work?

'I'm Vegemite. I can scoop it out of the pot by the spoonful and eat it,” says another of the surveyed. Marmite is disgusting apparently, Marmite is gross. 'Vegemite on crumpets and dripping with butter.”

'Vegemite,” says the office senior sage. 'Because it goes better with avocado on toast.” I've seen him prep it here in the office kitchen. One bite and it looks like a paddock after the cows have gone to the milking shed. All green and brown.

Yet another vote for Vegemite from the woman with the stunning mane of hair. 'Boil some pasta.” Al dente, if it sticks to your shoes it's ready. ”Melt some butter and Vegemite and pour it over the pasta.” She says it's brilliant. Maybe?

'Marmite's too strong. So Vegemite on buttered toast. Had it this morning,” says mother of three. 'I remember when I was in the UK Kiwis getting New Zealand made Marmite in care packs.” Because the UK version is quite different and crap apparently.

The effervescent blond eats Marmite. 'That's what the family always did, that's what I do. I eat Marmite out of principle.” So it's a much bigger issue than toast and taste, it's all very jingoistic, it's us versus them.

'I prefer the savoury taste,” says the office man of discernment. 'So Marmite. Vegemite is cack.” Cack being an informal noun meaning excrement or dung. So he is telling us he doesn't like Vegemite.

I can remember my mother boiling spinach into a khaki submission, straining the juice out into a glass and then stirring in one or two teaspoons of Vegemite. The four brothers would then glug the concoction before dinner. It looked like swamp gunk. Tasted like swamp gunk. I hated it.

Nowadays there's a jar of Vegemite in the pantry, but it's a fallback rather than a go-to because I am intrinsically lazy. I may feel like orange-glazed salmon with fennel roasted pumpkin and feta for dinner. But I am more likely to dump myself on the couch with an Indian Pale Ale (IPA) and eight to ten Meal Mates smeared with Vegemite. Maybe 12. And another IPA.

And patriotism doesn't matter a fig. I like what I like and I like Vegemite. I also liked the Aussie rock band ‘Men at Work' and they even sang about Vegemite.

'Buying bread from a man in Brussels. He was six-foot-four and full of muscles, I said, ‘do you speak-a my language?' He just smiled and gave me a Vegemite sandwich.”

That's got to mean something. Split Enz, Shihad or the Mint Chicks never sang up Marmite.

Then this week, just after the outrage that someone was selling vegan sausages at a Saturday morning sizzle outside Bunnings, the New South Wales government cracks down on school tuck shops.

It lumps Vegemite in with the naughty food like chicken nuggets, sausage rolls and schnitzel. They're labelled occasional foods and Vegemite – the iconic nature's gift Vegemite – should only be used in 'small amounts, and lightly spread.”

I just may have had an epiphany, a late change of faith.