Old Bay Seasoning – Invented by Jewish Baltimore man – Celebrates 70 Years
By Jane Black Washington Post Staff Writer - What would you do if you suddenly found yourself without a can of Old Bay? There are people out there who worry about this.
“Unless you like to get strip-searched, it is best to have your Old Bay can in your checked baggage,” warns Deborah Fedorchak Liberatore, who, for the record, has never been strip-searched for carrying Old Bay. “Pack a small stash in your carry-on baggage, just in case your luggage gets lost.”
Liberatore, 57, of Floyd, Va., has other helpful hints, too, most of which she has posted to Old Bay’s Facebook fan page. Some are practical: Old Bay is for more than just crabs. Try it in salsa, on fried green tomatoes or in a stir-fry. Others are less so: Did you know you can dress up your Old Bay can? Liberatore has posted pictures of Mr. Old Bay Head, with two lemons for his eyes and a tomato nose and a lemon peel mouth; the Old Bay bride, with a doily veil, and the Parisian Old Bay, with a tiny beret fixed at a jaunty angle.
Along with Liberatore, the seafood spice has amassed 44,785 fans on Facebook, and counting. Michael Harms, a 34-year-old Baltimore transplant to San Francisco, has a 4-by-6-inch tattoo of the Old Bay can on his calf. Charlie Phillips composed an ode to the spice sung to the tune of “On Top of Old Smokey.” Probably only bacon inspires fiercer loyalty. And bacon, it has been noted, tastes pretty good sprinkled with a little Old Bay.
Only a select group of foods can claim the cult status of Old Bay. As the spice celebrates its 70th anniversary, the retro-, primary-colored can is a visual icon as familiar to many as Campbell Soup. The seasoning, once used for crabs and shrimp in the Chesapeake Bay, is now available in all 50 states and used on french fries, pizza and popcorn and more.
Old Bay Seasoning was the invention of Gustav Brunn, a German Jew who emigrated to Baltimore in 1938. An experienced spice merchant, Brunn soon landed a job at McCormick & Co., which wanted him to develop blends for meatpackers who were making products including sausages and hot dogs. It was a short gig: Two days after being hired, he was let go because he was Jewish, says his son Ralph, now 84. (McCormick spokeswoman Laurie Harrsen says the company has no records of Brunn’s firing and points to its “longstanding commitment to diversity.”)
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