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No seafood boil is complete without the right seasoning. And everyone from the Mid-Atlantic knows that the "right seasoning" is Old Bay. But how has this simple spice bland cemented itself as a seafood staple? And when did people start using it on popcorn, potato salad, and around the rim of Bloody Marys?
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No seafood boil is complete without the right seasoning
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and everyone from the Mid-Atlantic knows that the right seasoning is Old Bay
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But how has this simple spice blend cemented itself as a seafood staple
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And when did people start using it on popcorn, potato salad, and around the rim of Bloody Marys
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Well, today, we're setting out on the high seas to reel in the surprisingly spicy history
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of Old Bay seasoning. Okay, time to meet your new bay. While Old Bay is a product of the United States
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it has its roots in World War II-era Germany. On November 9, 1938, 30,000 Jewish men were rounded up across Germany and Austria
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Their homes, businesses, and places of worship were destroyed, and they were sent to concentration camps during what would become known as
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the Night of Broken Glass. One of those men was Gustav Brunn
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who was sent to Camp Buchanwald. After two horrifying weeks, his family was able to procure
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the 10,000 marks necessary for his release. From there, Brunn and his family fled to America
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first landing in New York and later making the trek to Maryland. They found themselves
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in an apartment in Baltimore in 1939. While the Bruns brought very little with them on their
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journey to the States, one thing Brunn made sure to pack was his personal spice grinder
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He had been a spice merchant before World War II, though back then he mostly sold them
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to German sausage makers, and so he was determined to grind out a new spice-centric career here
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in America. Brunn managed to find a job at McCormick, which had already built up a reputation as
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a prominent leader in the spice industry. But the gig didn't last long
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In 1940, he created his own spice company and named his fledgling business Baltimore
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Spice Company, which is certainly descriptive. But Gustav wasn't a marketing genius
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He was a spice man. But there were far fewer sausages being made in Baltimore than there were back in Germany
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This was the land of crab. So, Brunn went to work developing a blend of spices that would pair perfectly with the
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fresh steamed crabs that were so commonly found in his neighborhood. He named that spice blend Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning, which is about
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as descriptive a name as Baltimore Spice Company. Luckily, a friend in advertising suggested Brunn changed the name to something with a
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little more bite That name turned out to be Old Bay But why It comes from the Baltimore Steam and Packet Company Man these guys just called things what they were back then huh Also nicknamed the Old Bay Line
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of Ships, the Baltimore Steam and Packet Company offered a luxury way to travel across Chesapeake
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Bay. Their ships were known for providing quality meals and lavish rooms. And during World War II
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they were converted into government vessels that buried Jewish refugees to port in America
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So, it seemed to Brunn that it was the perfect name for his brand new spice blend
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Now, he just had to get people to buy it. Old Bay seasoning wasn't an immediate hit
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Brunn did have a leg up in the competition, since he spoke German and could more easily
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converse with the increasing number of German immigrants arriving on American soil
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But shared language only got him so far. People just weren't willing to give his spice blend a try
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It wasn't until Brun began sharing free samples with crab merchants that business finally started
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to pick up. Apparently, the first merchant to use Brun's spices sold out his crab almost
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immediately, which gained the attention of the rest of the surrounding fishermen and fish sellers
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The spice blend became a staple of the local market soon after, and this was all before Old
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Bay had its name. Once the brand pivoted to being associated with classy dinners at sea
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and American gumption, Old Bay surged in popularity. Local grocery stores began to stock the product
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and crab steamers used it liberally. Printed on the side of every brightly primary-colored can of
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Old Bay were suggestions for recipes using the spice. It suggested a variety of dishes
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like crab cakes, fish creole, and cocktail sauce. All these dishes deeply appealed to the locals in
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Baltimore. And soon, a can of Old Bay was in virtually every spice cabinet in Maryland
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Not long after that, this humble little can would take over the world, or at least the whole country
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But how exactly did a spice blend made specifically for fresh seafood find success in the landlocked greater United States
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It wasn't just Baltimoreans who appreciated the suggested seafood recipes on every can of Old Bay
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Just about any state that could get their hands on canned or frozen fish was clamoring
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for something to make it taste less like canned or frozen fish
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And as fresher seafood became more widely available, Old Bay only continued to enjoy
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its well popularity in the market Brun creation really was a unique blend of spices While the entirety of the recipe remains a secret we know that it includes celery salt black and red pepper
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paprika, and probably things like nutmeg, cloves, mustard, ginger, and cinnamon. It may have been
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created especially for the ample amount of seafood which washed up on the shores of Maryland
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but as it turned out, Old Bay was good for just about anything. Restaurants started to adopt the
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as a delightfully versatile part of their menus. A local Maryland ice cream shop
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started selling an Old Bay spiced caramel flavor, and the spice blend found its way onto recipes
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for potato chips, eggs, corn on the cob, and even chipped beef
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Cans of Old Bay eventually changed their text, boasting that the blend is perfect for seafood
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poultry, salads, and meats, which covers just about every base imaginable for much of domestic America
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What's even sweeter and spicier for Old Bay is that no other seasoning can really compete
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Other companies, including Brun's old rival McCormick, started to sell their own variation of Old Bay
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and yet none of these knockoffs could quite capture the herbaceous flavor profile of the original
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The closest one can get without buying a bright yellow can is with Creole or Cajun seasoning
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but nobody has the brand recognition that the Old Bay name created for itself
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The once-unknown spice blend had become a phenomenon. Before Brunn ever created the Baltimore Spice Company, back when he was working for McCormick
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the split with the company wasn't exactly amicable. In order to get the job
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he had to conceal his Jewish heritage. After just two days working for the company, however
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Brunn's bosses discovered the truth and he was promptly fired. In 1940, he convinced Katz
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American to lend him enough money to start his own business. Katz American was yet another spice
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Company, this time owned by a fellow Jewish immigrant, and they helped get Brun up and
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running stateside. But McCormick would reappear in Brun's life once Old Bay started getting popular
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Its attempt to knock off Old Bay's recipe was sold in a similarly colorful can, and they didn't
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stop at simply copying the product. When Brun first tried to join the American Spice Trade
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Association with the Baltimore Spice Company, McCormick threatened to leave if he was brought
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on board. And when none of that worked to quell Old Bay's tempest of popularity, McCormick resorted
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to offering to buy the spice blend outright, an offer which Brunn allegedly refused on multiple
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occasions over the years After watching his small business grow into a national treasure Gustav Brunn passed away in 1985 at an impressive 92 years old Five years after that in 1990 Old Bay was officially sold to McCormick After so many
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years of coveting Old Bay, McCormick took its ownership very seriously. The company has since
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gotten litigious over its delicious prized spice. In 2018, McCormick sued Primal Palate Brands for
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copyright infringement due to their selling a similar spice blend which they called New Bay
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which admittedly is way more clever than anything Gustav Brunn ever came up with. R.I.P. Spice Man
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McCormick and Primal Palate ultimately decided to settle out of court for an undisclosed sum
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in 2020. And three years after that, in 2023, McCormick went after another brand
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An Annapolis-based business called Crab Cakes and Cannabis began selling a sticker which depicted
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a parody version of the classic Old Bay can with the words, 420 Bud Dank Herb scrawled across it
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McCormick threatened to sue unless crab cakes and cannabis stopped selling the stickers
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which they ultimately decided to do. Still, despite McCormick's litigious oversight, Old Bay remains a cultural touchstone across America, especially in the Mid-Atlantic
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In the modern day, the Modern Bay can be found in more than just spice cabinets
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The Maryland-based brewing company Fly Dog made an ale flavored with Old Bay
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Most bars in the state will serve a Bloody Mary with Old Bay seasoning around the rim
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And if you want to go the extra mile with that Bloody Mary, you can even use Old Bay
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Vodka and Old Bay Hot Sauce, the latter of which caused such a stir upon its release
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in 2020 that it crashed the McCormick website. After downing a few of those Old Bay Marys
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you might feel compelled to check out the McCormick website, where you can purchase Old Bay branded
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hats, t-shirts, and crab mallets. But why stop at wearable? You might even find it tattooed on the
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shin of a particularly dedicated fan. It's hard to think that a simple blend of herbs and spices
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would provoke that kind of reaction in so many generations of foodies. And if you'd ask Gustav
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to Bruin when he were alive, he'd never have guessed it either. He thought he created a spice blend
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But what he really created was a part of the Mid-Atlantic's cultural identity
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Today, Old Bay is more widely known than ever across all demographics
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The spice has permeated the minds, noses, and taste buds of every Marylander
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And McCormick is happy to partner with locals and other brands, as long as they ask first
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Otherwise, they're getting a cease and desist letter in the mail that smells like seafood