In Search of Orange Gold: Part 4 - The Whole is the Sum of its Ingredients

Maryland has had a long history of spice mixes used in connection with its seafood, such as blue crabs. However, it was an immigrant, Gustav Brunn, who created the iconic mix known as Old Bay. According to Brunn's son, Ralph, that mix was "almost an accident."

At the time, Brunn was trying to establish a spice business, the Baltimore Spice Company, in downtown Baltimore. He initially sold spices to butchers and meatpackers. However, his business was ideally located for a different customer. The Baltimore Spice Company was located across the street from a historic seafood market, first known as the Center Market and later as the Fish Market. Brunn took the short walk to the market and tried to sell his spice blends to the seafood vendors. He encountered resistance, because each vendor had their own proprietary blend of spices that they used and sold with their seafood. None of the vendors were interested in a newcomer who sold only spices and not fish. While Brunn was turned away, he was not discouraged. Gustav Brunn believed that he could make a better spice blend for seafood. 

Mr. and Mrs. Brunn
Source: Jewish Museum of Maryland

As mentioned above, Gustav Brunn ultimately produced the spice mix that became known as Old Bay.  Brunn used 18 ingredients in his original recipe. Whether intentionally or not, Brunn used spices that Maryland cooks historically used to prepare seafood. These spices included: 

(1) allspice, 

(2) black pepper, 

(3) cloves, 

(4) mace, 

(5) mustard, and 

(6) nutmeg. 

Those traditional ingredients amount to only one-third of the eighteen herbs and spices that comprised the original Old Bay mix. As for the other ingredients, Brunn chose herbs and spices that, although not traditional, they would still work well with seafood. These ingredients include:

(7) paprika,

(8) celery seeds,  

(9) salt,

(10) celery salt, 

(11) bay leaves, and 

(12) crushed red pepper (or cayenne pepper).

These additional ingredients bring the total number to twelve ingredients, or two-thirds of the way to -Brunn's 18 ingredient mix. Many of the copycat recipes one could find on the Internet stop here. There is no effort to determine the identity of the remaining six ingredients used in Old Bay. 

But, stopping here is akin to quitting a half-marathon after running only 8.7 miles. In some ways, this is exactly Gustav Brunn wanted. 

As noted above, Brunn did not simply set out to create the best spice mix for seafood. He wanted to be the only person who could make that blend. Brunn did not want anyone copying what he had done; or, worse, someone who could make a better spice blend. 

To this end, Brunn chose ingredients for Old Bay that, in his estimation, would be difficult for others to identify. Herbs or spices that are neither used traditionally for seafood or obvious to the senses. Those items comprise the final six ingredients of Brunn's recipe. 

Yet, despite his best efforts, Brunn was not able to fool everyone. Some of those final ingredients have been identified over time. Despite his best efforts, some of those ingredients have been identified or revealed over time. They include:

(13) white pepper, 

(14) cinnamon, and

(15) cardamom.

The final three ingredients remain a mystery. 

This mystery continues to this day. No copycat recipe for Old Bay has more than the fifteen (15) ingredients listed above. No one has been able to identify ingredients (16), (17) and (18). Those final three ingredients are known only to those who have seen or own Brunn's Old Bay recipe. (As an aside, the current owner is the same McCormick Foods where Brunn briefly worked after coming to the United States.)  

With the history of Gustav Brunn and a good sense of the Old Bay spice mix, it is now time for me to  try my hand at making the blend. I will try to recreate Old Bay and, perhaps in the process, try to discover what may be the three remaining ingredients. Stay tuned and ...

ENJOY!