 Old Bay Seasoning's distinctive yellow can, with a mound of the seasoning in front | |
| Company type | Brand |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1939, inBaltimore,Maryland, U.S. |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Parent | McCormick & Company |
| Website | mccormick |
Old Bay Seasoning is ablend of herbs and spices that is marketed in theUnited States byMcCormick & Company and originally created inBaltimore,Maryland.[1]
The seasoning is a mix ofcelery salt (salt,celery seed), spices (includingred pepper andblack pepper) andpaprika.[2] Some of the other spices that may be used arebay leaves, mustard, cardamom, cloves and ginger[3] as listed in the original product in theBaltimore Museum of Industry.[4] It is regionally popular, specifically in Maryland and Virginia,[5] as well as in theMid-Atlantic States, theSouthern States, parts ofNew England and theGulf Coast.[6]
Old Bay Seasoning is named after theOld Bay Line, a passenger ship line that plied the waters of theChesapeake Bay from Baltimore toNorfolk, Virginia, in the early 1900s.[7] In 1939, a German-Jewish immigrant named Gustav Brunn[7] started theBaltimore Spice Company.[8]
The origins of the company can be traced back toWertheim,Germany, where Brunn started a wholesale spice and seasoning business selling to food industries, seeing an opportunity as spices were in especially short supply amidsthyperinflation in the aftermath of World War I.[9] Due to rising antisemitism as theNazi Party rose to power, the company moved toFrankfurt, Germany;[10] however, on the night of November 9, 1938, a massivepogrom against Jews, known asKristallnacht, led to Brunn being arrested by Nazi soldiers and sent toBuchenwald concentration camp.[11]
According to Brunn's son, Gustav's wife paid a large sum of money to a lawyer for him to be released; as they had already applied for and received Americanvisas, they were able to escape with their two children to New York City and later Baltimore, Maryland, where Brunn had family.[9] There, having brought with him only a small spice grinder,[8] Brunn founded the Baltimore Spice Company and produced the "Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning", which was later renamed Old Bay.[12][13]
The rights to the seasoning brand were purchased by McCormick & Co in 1990.[14] McCormick continued to offer Old Bay in the classic yellow can.[15]
McCormick has a number of other products under the Old Bay banner, including seasoning packets forcrab cakes,salmon patties andtuna;tartar sauce;cocktail sauce; and seafood batter mix. They also make other seasoning blends that mix Old Bay seasoning withgarlic,lemon, brown sugar, herbs, andblackened seasonings. McCormick has offered a lower-sodium version of Old Bay Seasoning.[16]
In 2017, McCormick changed the packaging (along with McCormick's own line of Pure Ground Black Pepper) from metal cans to plastic containers in an effort to reduce the packaging costs. McCormick has since changed back to metal cans for its line of Pure Ground Black Pepper, however, the plastic containers for Old Bay Seasoning remain the same.[17]
The seasoning is chiefly used to seasoncrab andshrimp.[16] It is used in variousclam chowder andoyster stew recipes. The seasoning is also used as a topping onpopcorn,salads,eggs,fried chicken,chicken wings,french fries,tater tots,corn on the cob,boiled peanuts, dips,chipped beef,baked potatoes,potato salad,potato chips andguacamole. Several movie theaters in the Chesapeake region offer it in the condiment section.[citation needed]
Potato chip manufacturerUtz created the original "Crab Chip" based on a similar mix of spices.[18] The popular potato chip variety was later copied and marketed byHerr's (however, Herr's uses Old Bay seasoning and it is sold as "Herr's Old Bay Chips").[19]Lay's introduced its own Old Bay-seasoned "Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice" flavored chips in 2018.[20]
Early in its history, theSubway sandwich shop used Old Bay when mixing their seafood and crab salad. Many local Subway shops still have Old Bay for use on sandwiches.[citation needed]Convenience store chainSheetz also offers Old Bay as an option in its delis due to their large presence in the Mid-Atlantic region, including areas beyond Old Bay's traditional territory.[21]
Old Bay is also occasionally used around the Chesapeake Bay region as an ingredient inBloody Marys,[22] and even in places as far south as TheBreakers Hotel inPalm Beach, Florida. Some bars in the Baltimore region also often sell what is known as a 'Crabby Bo', which isNational Bohemian beer where the lip of the glass or mug being used is moistened and dipped into a container of Old Bay seasoning. In 2014, the Maryland-based breweryFlying Dog created an Old Bay-inspiredsummer ale named Dead Rise to celebrate the seasoning's 75th anniversary.[23] In 2022, McCormick collaborated with George's Beverage Company to produce Old Bay flavoredvodka.[24]
In 2020, McCormick created Old Bay Hot Sauce in advance of theSuper Bowl, which initially sold out within 30 minutes of its launch[25] and caused the Old Bay website to crash temporarily.[26] Some customers resold the 10-US-fluid-ounce (300 ml) bottles, retailing for $3.49, online for between $50 and $200.[27] In 2022, the company collaborated withPepperidge Farm to produce Old Bay-flavoredGoldfish crackers. The crackers sold out online within nine hours.[13]
