What Are The Ingredients That Go Into Old Bay Seasoning?

The exact ingredients that go into Old Bay's mixture are kept pretty quiet by the McCormick company, only revealing that the current formula contains 18 herbs and spices.

These include salt, celery seed, paprika, mustard, and red and black pepper. The original recipe was created by Gustav Brunn, who opened The Baltimore Spice Company in the 1930s.

Brunn's original recipe mixed together 19 herbs and spices, including celery salt, paprika, red and black pepper, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.

The unexpected spices in the blend gave the local crab a surprising flavor. Brunn eventually named his seasoning blend "Old Bay," the nickname of a nearby steamship line.