Marylanders might take Old Bay seasoning almost as seriously as blue crabs — and, after almost a decade living in the region, I gotta say I can’t blame them. The McCormick & Co. spice, originally created in Baltimore, is savory and slightly spicy. It goes well with seafood and fries and — in my opinion — sweets and desserts.
And then there are the snacks.
They tend to be widely popular and in demand. Although every season is arguably Old Bay season in the Baltimore area, summer is when we can go all out, orange dusty fingerprints be damned. We decided to do a taste test to figure out which one is the supreme Old Bay-flavored snack.
Our scientific method
Some of the snacks are harder to find than others. Goldfish tend to sell out fast, according to some store managers in Fells Point. The Seasoned Olive, a shop that sells spices, olive oils and gifts, was out of the Old Bay-covered chocolate crab, a personal favorite.
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Other snacks are staples at gift stores, including The Maryland Store and E.C. Pops. The chips are easy to find in grocery stores.
We had 12 people at The Baltimore Banner try the snacks and rate them on a scale of 5 to 1, with 1 for a snack they would eat every day, 5 for a “hard pass.”
I then calculated the average rating for each snack.
The outlier: Maryland Monroe Beef Jerky
A few people didn’t try the beef jerky due to dietary restrictions, so the rating is skewed. Those who ate it said it was quality beef jerky but it didn’t taste too much like Old Bay.
Rating: 2.62.
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My thoughts: I thought this was as pleasant as beef jerky can get because I’m not a beef jerky person. The package says this jerky is “kissed with Old Bay Seasoning,” and I could feel it in the aftertaste.
Sixth place: Fisher’s Old Bay Caramel Popcorn
Some people thought it tasted like regular caramel popcorn and that it did not have enough Old Bay. Others said the crab seasoning was jarring, a weird mix that started with “all caramel, then all Old Bay. Neither taste is pleasant,” one taster wrote.
One intern immediately scowled when she tried the popcorn.
Rating: 3.16.
Tolu Talabi: I don’t like it. I’m sorry. No. Oh, no. Oh absolutely not. It tastes crabby. Why should popcorn taste like crabs?
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Cayla Harris: This just tastes like regular caramel popcorn.
My thoughts: I’m an outlier here. I think these slap. If anything, I would dial down on the sweet a little bit.
Fifth place: Virginia Diner Old Bay Seasoned Peanuts
The consensus was that this was underwhelming. People couldn’t really taste the Old Bay, but no one was morally opposed, either.
Rating: 3.11.
Jasmine Vaughn-Hall: I feel like I will eat the whole thing wanting to find Old Bay and just keep getting disappointed.
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Tolu Talabi: Doesn’t taste like Old Bay, so very good.
Aline Behar Kado: Not sure I felt the Old Bay.
My thoughts: I blame the packaging. I had the peanuts that came in a pouch, and it had a lot of Old Bay. I liked them, though I’m not always craving peanuts as a snack.
Fourth place: Cali Bagels Old Bay Bagel Chips
This was overall a good snack that likely would have scored higher with a pairing.
Rating: 3
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Jasmine Vaughn-Hall: These are bomb. This needs some crab dip, though.
Cayla Harris: These were good, and I imagine they would be better with dip.
Andrea McDaniels: Adds a little zest to a bagel chip. Needs dip with it.
My thoughts: Hard agree. These plus some crab dip at a happy hour? Perfect way to end the day.
Third place: Utz Crab Chips
It’s a staple, the OG. These were very salty, which was a win for some and a problem for others. Tasters were also fans of the texture and how “crabby” the seasoning was. One person added that the chips would go well with a po’boy. Another taster said it’s an addictive snack, so they don’t buy it.
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Can’t go wrong with it.
Rating: 2.95
My thoughts: These were good, but I wouldn’t really go out of my way for them.
Second place: Old Bay Goldfish
It’s a popular snack, though a little hard to find. Interestingly, there was a bit of a divide on whether it tasted too much like Old Bay or not enough. Two people said it was “tart” and “too oniony.”
One person ranked this snack the lowest because the Old Bay flavor was too strong. Another ranked it first because it tasted the most like Old Bay.
Rating: 2.63
Alex Taylor: I like it. Very savory. Feels authentic.
Aline Behar Kado: Too oniony. I don’t think Old Bay and cheese are compatible.
Ellie Wolfe: My favorite, but I still prefer the flavor-blasted Goldfish.
Cody Boteler: No notes, perfect.
My thoughts: I couldn’t really tell the difference between those and regular Goldfish. Something might be wrong with my taste buds.
First place: Herr’s Old Bay Seasoned Cheese Curls
This was the clear winner. The curls by far have the best balance of Old Bay, with just enough seasoning to give the cheese a good kick. Tasters kept going back to the curls after the test, and it was one of the first snacks we ran out of.
Rating: 2.08
Ellie Wolfe: Old Bay provided a good kick that added to the curls’ flavor profile.
Alex Taylor: The Old Bay complements the cheese curls. A good experience.
Cody Boteler: These slap.
My thoughts: This was by far the best snack. I may or may not have eaten half the package by myself. Very good.
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