Goldfish crackers, vodka, hot chocolate—the beloved crab seasoning is everywhere now. Find out how Old Bay went from the back of the pantry to the top of everyone’s feed:
, a downmarket, ’70s-era crab house on the side of a six-lane highway behind BWI. At 3:30, people are already bibbed out and hammering at crab shells with wooden mallets, a soft percussive clatter beneath the Goo Goo Dolls song that ricochets off the walls.
Old Bay sells best by word of mouth, and lately everyone is talking about it. The story of the Old Bay brand renaissance is one part ingenious viral marketing and many parts people like Kyle, the youngish white guy sitting next to me at the Crabtowne bar. He’s wearing an O’s cap and drinking a pitcher of beer by himself, and when I ask if he loves Old Bay, he gives me the side-eye. Slowly, in the tone of a man who’s been body-snatched, he replies, “Well, we all love Old Bay.
What’s in Old Bay is a little mysterious—its parent company, McCormick, is coy about the recipe, stating that it’s a “proprietary blend of 18 herbs and spices.” Today’s can lists only celery salt, red pepper, black pepper, and paprika, but a pre-McCormick can at the Baltimore Museum of Industry also lists mustard seed, pimento, cloves, bay leaves, mace, cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon.
The can is synonymous with Old Bay, the engine of its nostalgic charm. Its design evokes Maryland’s salad days: abundant fisheries, sky-high industrial production, a thriving middle class. And for some, the design is an heirloom—the same style of can they grew up with, the one their parents and grandparents had. Even more than the recipe, the can embodies Old Bay’s history, which is central to the seasoning’s appeal.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why this SF Bay Area fire has been burning for 6 weeksA California fire has been burning in the marshland of the San Francisco Bay Area for more than 6 weeks, and a material known as 'peat' is fueling this blaze and making it difficult to extinguish, officials said.
Read more »
Bay Area built: How our camera captured Webb Space Telescope’s famed first imagesThe story behind the Bay Area-built camera that will usher in a new era of space exploration.
Read more »
Narrative nonfiction gems: 'Fire of Love' and 'Living Wine' come to Bay Area movie theaters“Fire of Love” is a gloriously cinematic tale of love and lava. “Living Wine” takes us into the natural winemaking world while doubling as a climate-change thriller. Both films feature people who love what they do
Read more »
East Bay man gets six years in prison for crash that killed twoA 42-year-old man was sentenced to six years in prison through a plea deal, after a judge ruled prosecutors failed to prove he was intoxicated.
Read more »
Small Fire Starts Near SR-54/SR-125 in South Bay San DiegoA small brush fire in Bonita sent smoke over parts of the South Bay on Wednesay before firefighters quickly got a handle on it.
Read more »
Bay Area seeing uptick in monkeypox cases as vaccine supplies run dryRise in infections come as vaccine supply runs short
Read more »