Culture of Baltimore facts for kids

Baltimore, Maryland, is a city with a rich history, known for its working-class roots. Located in the Mid-Atlantic, it blends traditions from both Northern and Southern American cultures.

Some brightly painted homes in Charles Village show Baltimore's unique architecture.

Delicious Baltimore Foods

Why Blue Crabs are Special

Blue crabs are a favorite food in Baltimore.

Baltimore is famous for its connection to blue crabs. This is a big part of Maryland's food culture.

People in Maryland usually steam crabs with rock salt and Old Bay Seasoning. This special spice mix has been made in Baltimore for many years. Some people boil crabs, but Marylanders believe steaming keeps the best flavor.

Marylanders steam blue crabs, often with Old Bay Seasoning.

Crabs are often eaten on tables covered with old newspaper. You use wooden mallets, knives, and your hands to get the meat out. Sometimes, cold beer is poured over the crabs while they steam.

Tasty Crab Cakes

A classic Baltimore crab cake uses steamed blue crab meat, egg, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, cracker crumbs, and mustard. They are usually broiled or fried. Most Baltimoreans eat them plain or with a little Worcestershire sauce, often on Saltine crackers.

Soft Crab Sandwiches

Soft shell crabs are blue crabs that have just shed their old shells. They are still soft! You can eat almost the whole crab, except for the mouth, gills, and abdomen. The crab is often tossed in flour with salt, pepper, and Old Bay. Then it's deep-fried or cooked in butter. It's served on toasted bread with mayonnaise, tomato, and lettuce.

Sauerkraut with Turkey

It's common in Baltimore to serve sauerkraut with Thanksgiving turkey. This tradition comes from the many German immigrants who came to Baltimore in the 1800s. By 1863, about one in four people in Baltimore were German.

What is Pit Beef?

"Pit Beef" is barbecued meat, usually served rare on a Kaiser roll. You can find it at small stands around Baltimore. It started on the city's east side and became popular everywhere. Other meats like ham, turkey, and sausages are also served. Pit beef is grilled over charcoal without rubs or sauces. It's usually thinly sliced. People often add a thick slice of white onion and a very spicy "Tiger Sauce" made from horseradish and mayonnaise.

Bull and Oyster Roasts

These are popular events in Baltimore and nearby areas, often held for fundraising. They happen during the cooler months when oysters are common. The food often includes Pit Beef, ham, turkey, and oysters. Oysters can be fried, raw, or stewed. There are also many side dishes like mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese.

Lake Trout Sandwiches

"Lake Trout" is actually fried Atlantic whiting. It's often served as a sandwich with ketchup and horseradish sauce. Lake trout is a common everyday food. You can often get it wrapped in foil in a paper bag from small take-out places.

The Famous Chicken Box

The "chicken box" usually has 4–6 chicken wings. They come in a fast food carry out box with French fries. People often add salt, pepper, and ketchup, but hot sauce is also popular. You can find chicken boxes at independent fried chicken shops and Chinese carry-outs. Many people enjoy them with "Half and Half," a drink that mixes iced tea and lemonade.

Sweet Berger Cookies

Berger Cookies are very popular in Baltimore and Maryland. They are vanilla shortbread cookies covered in a thick fudge ganache. George and Henry Berger brought the recipe from Germany to Baltimore in 1835. Today, DeBaufre Bakeries makes and sells them.

Polock Johnny's Sausages

A Polock Johnny's stand in Ocean City, Maryland.

John Kafka, Sr. created "Polock Johnny's" to specialize in polish sausage. He made the famous "The Works" sauce, which is sold in his stores. John would score his Polish sausage with small cuts, which became part of his logo. His granddaughter, Margie Kafka, continues the business today.

Rheb's Homemade Candies

Louis and Esther Rheb started making candies in their basement in 1917. They sold taffies, brittles, fudge, and jellies at local markets. In the mid-1930s, they opened a shop in Lexington Market. Louis created more recipes, and Esther learned to hand-dip candies in chocolate. In 1950, they turned their garage into a main store. On Valentine's Day, many customers line up outside Rheb's on Wilkens Avenue.

Lemon Peppermint Sticks

Lemon peppermint sticks are a special treat sold at the mid-spring Flower Mart. To make one, you cut the top off a small lemon, make a hole in it, and put a peppermint stick inside. When you suck on the stick and squeeze the lemon, you get a sweet, minty, lemony drink. People also make these at home during the summer.

Natty Boh Beer

The local favorite beer in Baltimore has always been National Bohemian, or "Natty Boh." The beer and its mascot, Mr. Boh, are a big part of Baltimore's culture. It's popular because it used to be inexpensive and is strongly linked to the city.

Natty Boh was the beer of choice for Orioles and Colts fans at Memorial Stadium. After the Colts moved in 1984 and the Orioles left Memorial Stadium in 1991, Natty Boh wasn't sold at Baltimore sports events. In 2000, brewing in Baltimore stopped. But since 2006, "Boh is Back" at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. It's now brewed outside Maryland by the Miller Brewing Company.

Baltimore's Geography

Baltimore has many different neighborhoods. Each has its own feel, including things like how busy they are. Canton, Baltimore is known for its young people and many nightclubs. M&T Bank Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards are near the Inner Harbor. These are home to the Baltimore Ravens and the Baltimore Orioles.

Baltimore's Architecture

Row Houses: A City Landmark

Simple row houses like these in Locust Point are common in Baltimore.

Baltimore is famous for its many row houses. These homes have been a part of Baltimore's look since the 1790s. You can still see old ones in neighborhoods like Federal Hill, Locust Point, and Fells Point. Newer row houses from the 1800s and 1900s are found all over the city. Many are being fixed up in areas that are improving.

What is Formstone?

When you tour Baltimore's row house neighborhoods, you might see a special kind of outer wall called Formstone. It was introduced in the 1950s. Early Baltimore bricks often needed painting to stop them from falling apart. Formstone was a modern solution that looked like stone and needed almost no care. Salesmen said it would last forever and was cheaper than other ways to improve a house's outside. It was very popular in East Baltimore. People there thought it made their neighborhood look fancy, like an Eastern European town.

L. Albert Knight patented Formstone in 1937. In the 1970s, some people felt Formstone hid the historic look of the homes. Many had it removed, which can be a lot of work and cost a lot of money.

Beautiful Marble Steps

Marble steps are a common sight in Baltimore.

Marble steps are a big part of Baltimore's culture, just like crabs and baseball. These steps are made from high-quality white marble found in Cockeysville, a town north of Baltimore. This beautiful marble was even used for the Washington Monument and parts of the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. In the mid-1800s, it became very popular for the steps of row houses around Baltimore's Inner Harbor and in Fells Point. Baltimoreans are proud that their everyday doorsteps are made from the same marble as famous landmarks. Scrubbing these marble steps with Bon Ami powder and a pumice stone is a long-standing tradition.

Baltimore Slang

People from Baltimore have a special way of saying words. Many syllables are often dropped. For example, Annapolis becomes "Napliss." The accent is strongest when spoken by people from East and South Baltimore.

What "Hon" Means

"Hon" (short for "Honey") is a common friendly word used in Baltimore. It's almost always at the end of a sentence, like "How 'bout dem O's, Hon?" This word is part of the "Hon" culture, often linked to working-class families from neighborhoods like Highlandtown and Hampden. From the 1950s to the 1970s, it was common to see women dressed in bright dresses with beehive hairdos. Men often looked like factory or dock workers, which many of them were.

The Baltimore accent is unique. For example, "Baltimore" is often said as "Baldamore" or "Balmer." "Maryland" becomes "Murland" or "Merlin." Other common pronunciations include "ool" (oil), "wooder" (water), and "warsh" (wash). A popular summer phrase is "goin' downy ayshin" (going down to the ocean, usually Ocean City, Maryland).

Filmmaker John Waters, who is from Baltimore, has shown the "Hon" culture in his movies. The word "Hon" has also been used for businesses like Cafe Hon and for the yearly HonFest.

"Hon" as a Trademark

In 2010, a local businesswoman, Denise Whiting, trademarked the term "Hon" for her restaurant, Cafe Hon. She said it didn't stop anyone from saying "Hon" but was for products like napkins and hats. This caused a lot of debate and protests.

In 2011, Denise Whiting announced she would give up the "Hon" trademark. She said the argument over the trademark had hurt her business and her health.

Music and Books in Baltimore

Baltimore has a strong music history, especially in jazz. Famous jazz musicians like Chick Webb, Eubie Blake, and Billie Holiday were from Baltimore before moving to New York City. Classical composer Philip Glass also started in Baltimore.

Other famous musicians from the area include Frank Zappa, Ric Ocasek from The Cars, Mama Cass, and David Byrne from Talking Heads.

Baltimore Club is a unique style of dance music that started in the city.

In the 2000s, several alternative and indie bands became well-known, such as Beach House, Animal Collective, and Future Islands. Many of these bands moved to Baltimore from other places.

From the 1860s to the 1880s, many magazines were published in Baltimore, like Southern Magazine.

Baltimore in TV and Movies

Baltimore is a popular city for filming movies and TV shows. Many movies have been filmed here, like ...And Justice for All (film). TV shows such as NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street and HBO's The Wire were also set and filmed in Baltimore.

Barry Levinson, a filmmaker from Baltimore, made many movies about the city, including Diner and Avalon. Baltimoreans love his movies because the actors often use the local accent.

Another Baltimore filmmaker, John Waters, makes unique films that show a different side of the city's culture. Many scenes from his 1972 movie Pink Flamingos were filmed in Baltimore. Hairspray, Waters' tribute to Baltimore's music scene, has been very successful. It was made into a film in 1988, a stage musical in 2002, and another film in 2007.

Baltimore also hosts the Maryland Film Festival every May.

Sports in Baltimore

Jousting is Maryland's official state sport, and lacrosse is the official team sport. Lacrosse is very popular in Baltimore. Colleges like Johns Hopkins and Loyola have strong lacrosse teams. The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and Museum is just north of the city. High schools in Baltimore also have famous lacrosse teams.

M&T Bank Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens, hosts big lacrosse events. It has also hosted the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Final Four several times.

Sports Traditions

Before a Baltimore Ravens game, it's a tradition to tap the shoe of the statue of Johnny Unitas. He was a famous quarterback for the Baltimore Colts. People do this for good luck.

When the national anthem plays at an Orioles or Ravens game, fans emphasize the word "oh" in "oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave." This shows support for the Orioles, who are called the "O's." Some people from outside Baltimore think this is disrespectful.

Baltimore sports fans often use nicknames for players and big moments. For example, Chris Davis was called "Crush Davis." The 2012 playoff game between the Ravens and the Broncos is known by names like "Mile High Miracle." This refers to Joe Flacco's pass that led to a Ravens victory and their Super Bowl win.

When the Orioles win in an amazing way, especially after a tough situation, it's called "Orioles Magic." This term became popular in 1979 after a dramatic home run.

Eating Esskay hot dogs and drinking National Bohemian beer at Baltimore sports events, especially Orioles games, is a long-standing tradition.

The term "Birdland" is used for the Baltimore area's fans of both the Ravens and the Orioles. The Orioles' TV network, MASN, helped make this term popular.

The song Seven Nation Army became the Ravens' pump-up song. It was first played at their 2011 opening game and is now played at every home game. You can also hear it at Orioles games, with fans singing "Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh" for the "O's."

Fun Places to Visit in Baltimore

People and Places of Baltimore

Famous People from Baltimore

Important Places in Baltimore

Things Connected to Baltimore