I’ve lived in Virginia for quite a few years now and have seen the classic yellow can of Old Bay in the spice isle and in the seafood section of my local grocery stores oodles of times. But not being much of a crab guy, and Old Bay being a primary seasoning for crab, especially in the Mid-Atlantic and Gulf States, I thought I didn’t have much use for it. And the crab on the can kinda freaked me out. Did I mention I’m not really a crab guy?
Anyway, on a recent trip to Baltimore my wife ordered fish and chips. The fish was great and the fries were seasoned with none other than Old Bay. I loved them. As I bit into the fries I heard a choir of angels sing. I jumped up on the table and sang the praises of Old Bay. I even did a bit of a Saturday Night Fever dance too, until our waitress flung a side order of corn on the cob at me and knocked me off the table. After I regained consciousness I found that the corn was seasoned with Old Bay as well, and because it hit the floor after hitting me—I got it for free. That was a savings of $1.99. Not a bad deal if you ask me.
Old Bay has a hint of heat and layers of flavor. It’s a mix of celery salt, bay leaf, mustard seed, cloves, allspice, mace, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, black and red pepper, and paprika. It doesn’t get much better than that for a seasoning mix. And it works on just about anything: seafood, poultry, meats, salads, popcorn, Snickers, peanut butter and jelly, etc. Check out the testimonials and see how others are using Old Bay in their neck of the woods. You might just start singing the praises of Old Bay, just like me. Just be warned, waitresses in Baltimore frown on you dancing Saturday Night Fever style on their tables. The video below is an accurate depiction of my dance, minus the corn incident.
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