Is there a bright yellow and royal blue tin of Old Bay seasoning sitting on your kitchen shelves? Chances are there is -- even if it's years old.
After all, according to McCormick & Co., the Hunt Valley, Md.-spice company that makes the seasoning, about 50 million ounces of Old Bay were sold last year. Even though the popular seasoning comes in 16-ounce packages as well as the iconic 6-ounce tin and a shaker bottle, all those tasty herbs and spices had to find a home somewhere.
Very likely one found a place in yours.
The seasoning was originally created in 1939 by Gustav Brunn to season crab and other seafood.
Brunn, a German immigrant, opened a spice business and rented a space on Baltimore's Market Place, opposite the Wholesale Fish Market. He saw how East Coast residents relished blue crab and decided to capitalize on their cravings.
Using a small spice grinder and mixer, he created the secret recipe -- a blend of 12 herbs and spices -- that would become Old Bay.
Brunn christened his seasoning "Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning" but soon shortened it to Old Bay, a name inspired by a steamship line traveling the Chesapeake Bay.
Baltimore residents loved it then, and 70 years later, they still do.
But nowadays Old Bay's cult following has expanded far beyond its birthplace. Old Bay ambassadors have carried their enthusiasm for this zesty seasoning from the mid-Atlantic across the country and, in some cases, around the world.
According to Laurie Harrsen, director of consumer affairs for McCormick, sales of Old Bay have increased 30 percent in recent decades.
That's because Old Bay seasons much more than seafood. McCormick recommends using it on everything from chicken to pizza, pasta to corn-on-the-cob. If you find that hard to grasp, just go to a website called Old Bay Nation, www.oldbay.com/Nation-Landing.aspx. It's full of testimonials, cooking tips and Old Bay lore from fans nationwide.
Harrsen said McCormick is still using Brunn's original secret recipe, though the company also markets a low-sodium version and others flavored with lemon, garlic and blackened seasonings.
"And it's still a secret," she said.
Though if you do a search on the internet, you'll find a dozen or more copycat recipes to try.
*Loretto J. Hulse: 582-1513; lhulse@tricityherald.com
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