An Old Bay crab cake recipe is a recipe for crab cakes that uses Old Bay seasoning, a blend of spices commonly used in Maryland cuisine. Old Bay crab cakes are considered a regional delicacy in the Chesapeake Bay region of the United States.
Old Bay seasoning is a blend of celery salt, black pepper, red pepper flakes, paprika, dry mustard, ginger, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. It was created in 1939 by Gustav Brunn, a German immigrant who lived in Baltimore, Maryland. Brunn originally sold his seasoning door-to-door, but it quickly became popular in local seafood restaurants. In 1950, Brunn sold the Old Bay brand to the McCormick & Company spice company.