Zoitsa Homely Produce is launching our version of Old Bay Seasoning.
I have a tendency to scrounge around the herbs and spices aisles of any supermarket. You will always find me wandering around and looking at herbs and spices and seasonings and blends . I usually pick up a product and spend a good 45 minutes tucked at the back of a store reading up on its ingredients and then coming home and trying to replicate it and cook with it. The things I do for fun!@$% I’m sure I look like a whackadoodle but horses for courses my friends!
I stumbled across a seasoning called Old Bay at a local American Supermarket. Trust me when I say I reach far and wide to find different things.
I recall picking it up and thinking what is this? I huddled into the back corner of the store and using my trusty phone started googling what it is was and I was intrigued with it. I bought the jar, and I came home and literally started doing all my crazy taste tests with it. I then rolled up my sleeves and started to cook with it and I was impressed.
What I wasn’t impressed with was the ingredient labels telling me that the seasoning contained spices (umm der but which spices?) Silicon Dioxide (which is essentially an anti-caking agent) Spice Extract (well for the love of Baby Jesus why on earth are you adding concentrated essence into a product?) and Paprika Oleoresins (which is basically an oil soluble extract from Capsicum annuum or Capsicum frutescens , basically food colouring and flavouring). It’s this unknown shit that we are putting into our bodies, and it infuriates me!
Enough of my rambling…back to the Old Bay Seasoning. The Old Bay Seasoning origin can be traced back to a German Jewish immigrant by the name of Gustav Brunn. Mr Brunn invented Old Bay Seasoning way, way back in 1939. There is a lot of history as to how he started his spice business which is a massive story to tell but I won’t bore you all. Mr Brunn went through World War 1 and he ended up in the USA. It’s a fascinating, eye opening, heart wrenching story.
Short version Mr Brunn ended up in a concentration camp, he eventually had applied and received VISAS to move to America and he escaped with his two children and loving wife. He bought over a small spice grinder and founded The Baltimore Spice Company and in time he produced and manufactured what we know (or may not know) as Old Bay Seasoning. He named the seasoning Old Bay Seasoning after a passenger ship called The Old Bay Line. And the rest as they say is history.
Originally Old Bay Seasoning was made specifically for seafood, namely crab and prawn seasoning but over time it has evolved and is a seasoning that can be used on a multitude of foods and drinks.
So, what does our Old Bay Seasoning taste like? Well, it’s sort of like a Cajun tasting seasoning but with prominent and dominant tastes like mustard, celery salt, bay leaves, nutmeg, and a hint of smoky paprika. Our version consists of a lot of ingredients such as the above mentioned along with black pepper, celery seeds, white pepper, ginger, chilli flakes, cloves, mace, cardamom, and allspice. It also has this sweet “tang” to it.
The beauty of this seasoning is that it is not exclusively used in prawn, crab, seafood dishes. It is delightful (and tested in our kitchen) on a variety of different dishes and foods. It is a must sprinkled on popcorn, on corn on the cob, on any roast vegetables, added into soups like pumpkin and tomato. Mix some in with your tomato sauce for a pop of flavour. Gorgeous added to plain flour when wanting to dredge your poultry or seafood dishes, it’s to die for on avocado toast, mix it in marinades. It has elevated our scrambled eggs to another level, and it is awesome as rim salt on a Bloody Mary and beer. Yes! BEER! Just don’t stop at seafood! It seriously is the most versatile seasoning to have in your pantry.
I end todays blog with our Old Bay Seasoning adds a nice complex kick to your foods and drinks and I know you will be coming back for more!
Bon Appetit
Irene
