Vegemite. You can't be middling on Australia's favourite spread — you either love the stuff or subsist on pretenders like strawberry jam or Nutella. But is there something we can do to take our Vegemite excursions to the next level, to explore the delicious world beyond the basics of bread, butter and 'mite? You and I both know there is.

Today, Vegemite took to Twitter to announce a new and highly polarising creation: the Vegemite Icy Pole. The denizens of the Twitterverse did not lap up what was offered.

In 1923, Cyril P. Callister invented Vegemite. 94 years later, we have Vegemite: Blend 17.

OK Australia, we get it. People like Vegemite. But do you have to go and put it into everything? Is nothing sacred? Even the humble meat pie is getting its share of the savoury paste come Monday, with Four'N Twenty releasing a limited edition beef, cheese and Vegemite product to appease carnivorous yeast lovers.

In a bid to fight childhood obesity, the NSW Department Of Education has issued a blacklist of foods it wants to see banned or heavily restricted from school canteens. While the majority of snacks mentioned in the report won't raise any eyebrows (examples include butter, sweet biscuits and chocolate), there is one item that is sure to cause controversy: Vegemite.

That's right, in addition to our tax dollars, the Man is now coming after our kid's favourite breakfast spread. That's just bloody un-Australian that is.

You could spread Vegemite on toast. We're just putting it out there as a wacky possibility. It turns out, though, that there's all sorts of crazy ways to use the popular breakfast spread. Here are some non-food uses for Vegemite that the internet swears by -- from a WD-40 substitute to a DIY hair conditioner.

As you've doubtlessly seen on social media, Cadbury is partnering with Vegemite to create a new chocolate block flavoured with yeast extract. No really. This controversial sweet isn't set to hit shelves until next month, so we thought we'd beat Cadbury to the punch with a homemade version. We then fed the concoction to our horrified coworkers. Here are their reactions.

It's not a hoax. It's not a spoof. Cadbury's Vegemite-flavoured chocolate is really happening. On June 1, Australians will find out whether their favourite yeast spread works as a sugary dessert. To commemorate this bold taste combination, we've assembled our favourite Vegemite hacks from the Lifehacker archives. Enjoy.

Pizza Hut has quietly pulled online advertising for its Mitey Stuffed Crust pizza following complaints from Vegemite owner Kraft. The offending advert depicted foreign backpackers retching in disgust at the taste of the new product. The "takeaway" lesson here is that you probably shouldn't publicly insult your business partner -- even if it's just a joke.

Yesterday, we brought you the vaguely terrifying news that Pizza Hut had released a Vegemite-flavoured pizza. The deceptively-titled "Mitey Stuffed Crust Pizza" takes a regular cheese-filled crust and infuses it with Australia's favourite breakfast spread. We've since tasted the product ourselves and found it to be surprisingly moreish -- here is the Lifehacker verdict.

To coincide with Australia Day, Pizza Hut has unveiled a new Stuffed Crust pizza that arguably tops the Doritos and Cheeseburger crusts in sheer weirdness. The Mitey Stuffed Crust Pizza takes a regular cheese-filled crust and infuses it with Vegemite. (Aussie, Aussie, Aussie! ...Er, anyone?)

We know that the SodaStream Genesis works well as a source of carbonated drinks. We know that it's more economical if you use your own flavours. And we're an Australian site. Clearly, there was only one thing to be done: use the office SodaStream to make a Vegemite-flavoured beverage. It's time for Sodamite. (Be careful how you spell that.)

It's a yeast extract spread in a yellow-capped jar with a bright red label, but that's largely where the resemblance ends. Lifehacker goes the taste test on ALDI's Vegemite clone, Brekkie Mite.

The Big Mac remains the most iconic of McDonald's products, but you can reproduce the experience in your own kitchen with an amazingly accurate replica of the "special sauce" that helps define the Big Mac. The secret ingredient? Vegemite.