History

Old Bay seasoning was developed by Gustav Brunn, a German-Jewish refugee who arrived in Baltimore in 1939 with little more than a hand-cranked spice grinder. He started the Baltimore Spice Company in a Light Street basement; Old Bay (named for the Old Bay Line steamship that ran the Chesapeake) launched the same year. The blend of celery salt, paprika, mustard, bay leaves, black pepper and red pepper became the regional seasoning for steamed crabs, but in DC kitchens it travelled to shrimp boils, fries and cocktails. McCormick acquired Old Bay in 1990; the recipe is unchanged.

Book a food experience

Tours, tastings and classes from the cities on this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.

Browse every bookable food experience

Common allergens: Shellfish

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 15 minTotal 25 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 1kg large head-on or shell-on shrimp
  • 2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 small onion, halved
  • Cocktail sauce (ketchup, prepared horseradish, lemon juice) to serve
  • Extra Old Bay for dusting

Method

  1. Bring 3 litres of water to a hard boil in a large pot. Add the Old Bay, lemon halves and onion halves. Boil 5 minutes to bloom the spice.
  2. Add the shrimp and stir. Cook 90 seconds to 2 minutes, until just pink and curled. Do not overcook.
  3. Drain the shrimp into a colander. Spread on a tray and dust generously with extra Old Bay while still hot.
  4. Chill 15 minutes in the fridge if serving cold, or eat warm with your hands and cocktail sauce.

Tip from the editors. The shrimp keep cooking after you drain them; pull them at the 90-second mark if they look just barely curled, not opaque all the way through.

Where to eat old bay shrimp

Old Bay shrimp in Washington DC

The Salt Line ★ 4.5

$$$ New England SeafoodNavy Yard

The Salt Line in Washington DC is the Navy Yard New England-style seafood room overlooking Diamond Teague Park, with Connecticut-style lobster rolls.

OrderThe hot Connecticut-style lobster roll on a butter-toasted bun; the menu favourite since opening.

TipPatio runs from April to October and faces the Anacostia Booking recommended for weekends.

Directions Book

Maine Avenue Fish Market ★ 4.4

$ Street food

Maine Avenue Fish Market in Washington DC is the Southwest Waterfront open-air seafood market on Maine Avenue, the oldest continuously-operating open-air.

TryBoiled blue crabs and shrimp by the pound

TipPre-cooked seafood is sold by the pound; carry the brown bag to a Wharf bench for a $30 lunch for two.

Directions

All Washington DC signature dishes →

More cities are in research. Want old bay shrimp covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →