The History of Old Bay Seasoning

Old Bay Seasoning was created by Gustav Brunn. After his remarkable release from a Nazi concentration camp, Brunn fled Germany and settled his family in Baltimore, Maryland. He struggled to find work, so someone suggested he make use of the industrial spice grinder he’d brought with him from Germany. Brunn started the Baltimore Spice Company in 1939. He began by making and selling spices for meatpackers to use in sausages, hotdogs, and bologna. He operated across the street from the Wholesale Fish Market and thought he could make a superior spice blend to anything they were using. Brunn set about crafting a unique blend that is still known for being all but impossible to imitate today. After a crab steamer accepted a sample and loved it, the fishmongers began buying Brunn’s blend for seasoning their wares. The blend was originally called Delicious Brand Shrimp and Crab Seasoning but was later renamed to Old Bay Seasoning. The name was taken from a steamship line that sailed between Baltimore and Norfolk at the time. Today, Old Bay Seasoning is a staple in the Mid-Atlantic and all along the East Coast, where it is frequently used to season seafood. More recently, Old Bay Seasoning has also been used to flavor a variety of novelty foodstuffs, from Goldfish Crackers to vodka. It is currently owned by McCormick.