New Englanders: Is Old Bay seasoning a "New England staple"?

[lindrusso]

DH and I constantly roll our eyes at our local food critics. I would love a shot at that job.... ;) Of course the problem is that the public would hate me because I'd shred just about everything. :D

Anyway, this week the critic, who recently took over the job from two reviewers who were even worse, wrote about some baked cod "swimming in butter" (which, for him, was apparently a good thing :rolleyes: ) and seasoned with Old Bay which he called a "New England staple".

Now I know Old Bay is a staple for Maryland blue crabs and that the company operates out of Baltimore, but I wasn't so sure about the New England part (clam chowder, lobster rolls, yeah, but Old Bay????).

So, is it Old Bay a staple in New England? :)

Alysha :)

[valchemist]

not in my house.

[Beth Y]

Having spent most of my childhood on the Chesapeake Bay, I know that it is a staple there. But whenever I mentioned it to any of my northern friends in college, they all had no idea what I was talking about!

[sab1976]

Nope!

[slknight]

Admittedly, I am not a native New Englander (although I live here now). But I am a native Virginian. And I would say that Old Bay is definitely more a Virginia/Maryland thing than a New England thing.

[seathyme]

Grew up here with no idea what Old Bay is... sounds like you've nailed another critic!:p

[HUNGRY!]

When I went to college in Ohio I knew several people who thought that Maryland was a part of New England, so maybe he's just confused with his geography. I grew up on the South Shore of Massachusetts though and never saw it until I moved to Virginia.

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by HUNGRY!
When I went to college in Ohio I knew several people who thought that Maryland was a part of New England, so maybe he's just confused with his geography.

I don't know which is worse. Making incorrect statements about a food item when you're supposed to be a food critic or being so confused about geography as to think that Maryland is part of New England???? :o Geography is not my strong point, but sheesh.

[donnamp14]

Life-long New Englander reporting that it is a staple in MY house, but not a New England staple at all! Now, if he was talking about Maryland he'd be right. Or does he think New England includes the Mid-Atlantic?????

Me? I love the stuff!

[bobmark226]

The McCormick's website says "New England and Maryland." Maybe the food critic was cribbing? :eek:

Anyway, this CT native never had it there ever, but then it's not something that goes particularly well with kielbasa. :rolleyes:

Bob

[Gracie]

I also grew up on the Chesapeake Bay. I've lived in NE for ages though and Old Bay was never even available here until the last 10 years or so. My mother would look for it and none of her friends had ever heard of it.

No Old Bay ever makes its way into NE clam chowder - or anything else for that matter! You need to have a reason to use it - like steamed crabs - which are not available up here. When restaurants make "Maryland crab cakes" they are Old Bay-free, and thus, to me anyway, not "Maryland".

Loren

[mom2garret]

Hell no! Never bought it and probably never will :o :D
Jodi

[lindrusso]

Well, I thought as much.

I lived in MD for about 8 years, so I'm very familiar with Old Bay as a MD thing.

Although I never lived in New England, I did live in NY for about 10 years and never got the sense from our journeys to CT, MA, etc. that Old Bay was a regional thing there.

But I had to check just in case I had missed something....

Alysha

[linsleyd]

I've lived in PA my whole life and it's a staple in my house. Fries, eggs, crab, etc.
I definetly have never had it when visiting New England!