Old Bay Seasoning facts for kids
Old Bay Seasoning's distinctive yellow can, with a mound of the seasoning in front
|
|
| Brand | |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1939, in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. |
| Parent | McCormick & Company |
Old Bay Seasoning is a special mix of herbs and spices. It is sold in the United States by a company called McCormick & Company. This famous seasoning was first made in Baltimore, Maryland.
Old Bay is made from a blend of ingredients. These include celery salt (which is salt and celery seed), different spices like red pepper and black pepper, and paprika. Other spices that might be in it are bay leaves, mustard, cardamom, cloves, and ginger. This mix is very popular in Maryland and other parts of the Mid-Atlantic States, the Southern States, some areas of New England, and the Gulf Coast.
Contents
The Story Behind Old Bay Seasoning
How Old Bay Got Its Name
Old Bay Seasoning got its name from a famous ship line. This was the Old Bay Line. These ships carried passengers on the Chesapeake Bay. They traveled from Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia, in the early 1900s.
The Creator: Gustav Brunn
In 1939, a man named Gustav Brunn started the Baltimore Spice Company. He was an immigrant from Germany. Gustav Brunn had a business selling spices in Wertheim, Germany. He saw a chance to sell spices to food companies.
However, times became very difficult in Germany. Because of growing danger, Gustav Brunn and his family had to leave their home. They were able to get visas to America. They escaped with their two children to New York City. Later, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland, where Brunn had family.
Gustav Brunn brought only a small spice grinder with him. In Baltimore, he started his new company. He created a seasoning called "Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning." This was later renamed Old Bay.
Old Bay Joins McCormick & Company
In 1990, McCormick & Company bought the rights to the Old Bay seasoning brand. McCormick continued to sell Old Bay in its classic yellow can.
McCormick now offers many other products with the Old Bay name. These include seasoning packets for crab cakes, salmon patties, and tuna. They also make tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, and seafood batter mix. You can also find other Old Bay seasoning blends. Some mix Old Bay with garlic, lemon, brown sugar, or herbs. There's even a lower-sodium version of Old Bay Seasoning.
Changes in Packaging
In 2017, McCormick changed the Old Bay packaging. They switched from metal cans to plastic containers. This was done to help lower packaging costs. While McCormick later went back to metal cans for some other products, Old Bay Seasoning still uses plastic containers.
How People Use Old Bay Seasoning
Old Bay seasoning is mostly used on crab and shrimp. It is also used in many recipes for clam chowder and oyster stew. People also sprinkle it on popcorn, salads, eggs, fried chicken, chicken wings, french fries, tater tots, and corn on the cob. It's also great on boiled peanuts, dips, chipped beef, baked potatoes, potato salad, potato chips, and guacamole. Some movie theaters in the Chesapeake area even offer it as a topping!
Old Bay Flavored Snacks
The potato chip company Utz made the first "Crab Chip." This chip used a similar mix of spices. Another company, Herr's Snacks, later copied this popular chip. Herr's actually uses Old Bay seasoning in their "Herr's Old Bay Chips." In 2018, Lay's also introduced their own Old Bay-flavored chips called "Chesapeake Bay Crab Spice."
Years ago, the Subway sandwich shop used Old Bay in their seafood and crab salad. Many local Subway shops still have Old Bay for sandwiches. The convenience store chain Sheetz also offers Old Bay as an option in their delis. This is because they have many stores in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Old Bay in Drinks and New Products
Old Bay is sometimes used in Bloody Marys in the Chesapeake Bay region. Some bars in Baltimore even sell a 'Crabby Bo.' This is a National Bohemian beer where the rim of the glass is dipped in Old Bay seasoning. In 2014, the Maryland brewery Flying Dog made an Old Bay-inspired beer. It was called Dead Rise and celebrated the seasoning's 75th anniversary. In 2022, McCormick worked with George's Beverage Company to make Old Bay flavored vodka.
In 2020, McCormick created Old Bay Hot Sauce. It was launched before the Super Bowl. The hot sauce sold out in just 30 minutes! This even caused the Old Bay website to crash for a short time. Some people resold the 10-ounce bottles online for much higher prices. In 2022, the company worked with Pepperidge Farm to make Old Bay-flavored Goldfish crackers. These crackers also sold out online very quickly, in just nine hours.
See also
In Spanish: Old Bay Seasoning para niños
