Oxford Map and History

Oxford is one of the oldest towns in Maryland. Although already settled for perhaps 20 years, Oxford marks the year 1683 as its official founding, for in that year Oxford was first named by the Maryland General Assembly as a seaport and was laid out as a town. In 1694, Oxford and a new town called Anne Arundel (now Annapolis) were selected the only ports of entry for the entire Maryland province. Until the American Revolution, Oxford enjoyed prominence as an international shipping center surrounded by wealthy tobacco plantations.

Today, Oxford is a charming tree-lined and waterbound village with a population of just over 700 and is still important in boat building and yachting. It has a protected harbor for watermen who harvest oysters, crabs, clams and fish, and for sailors from all over the Bay. For a walking tour and more history visit https://tidewatertimes. com/travel-tourism/oxford-maryland/.

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are cooked in bulk for retail sale. (Number One is lower in sodium.)

Carryout customers and crab house diners buying crabs presteamed assume the tasty, anonymous spice coating their favorite crustacean is the same Old Bay sold on supermarket shelves. Truth be told, the markets with Old Bay on their shelves frequently use J. O. #2 behind the counter when steaming seafood.

Mike Rowe, a native Marylander who hosts the Discovery Channel’s “Dirty Jobs,” attempted to clarify any confusion about crab seasoning. In his ninth season, Rowe strayed from the show’s usually squalid locales to do a segment with Strigle descendants in J.O.’s pristine Halethorpe, Md., facility. To explain his presence in a sanitary scene, Rowe said, “Ninety-nine percent of the country—including most everyone in Baltimore—confuses J.O. #2 with Old Bay Seasoning. It’s a mistake I’ve made myself, more than once,

202 Morris St., Oxford 410-226-0010

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Rowe’s good intention went astray after Rachael Ray invited him to promote his upcoming episode on her ABC show. As Rowe explained, “Unfortunately, as well as ironically, Rachael Ray was under the impression that J.O. Spice Company made Old Bay Season - ing, and proceeded to promote Old Bay.” At the finish of their conversation, Rach laughingly lifted an iconic tin of Old Bay, tilted her head back, and took a straight shot, saying, “Doing a hit!” In the process, she missed Rowe’s attempt to correct her.

The fourth generation of Strigle’s family operates J.O.’s company. They generally aspire to peaceful co-existence but balked at appearing in Rach’s nationwide promotion urging, “Meet the family that makes Old Bay.” Ginger Ports, family member and vice president of marketing and sales, was compelled to speak up. Made aware of her error, Rach created Chicken and Shrimp Penne Chesa -

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peake Bay Style, recommending and lavishing praises on J.O. spices. (Recipe: rachaelrayshow.com)

The J.O. company prides itself on personalized service. They will even custom-blend a bulk order for any purveyor who still treasures his own recipe—perhaps one of those old family secrets that once ruled crab culture around Baltimore. J.O. pledges to guard a secret blend: no one employee receives the full list of herbs and spices for a custom order.

Similarly, Old Bay lists contents vaguely as eighteen herbs and spices: “celery salt (salt and celery seed), spices (including red pepper, black pepper), and paprika.” Stringent regulations once required Brunn to reveal ingredients, if not precise amounts. In addition to those the label currently reveals, Brunn listed mustard seed, bay leaves, cloves, pimento, ginger, mace, cardamom and cinnamon. In 1940s Baltimore, such then-exotic ingredients surely discouraged do-it-yourselfers.

Ironically, McCormick & Co. purchased former employee Gustav Brunn’s company in 1990 for something north of $10 million. Today they guard Old Bay’s recipe, as befits such a valuable asset. Brunn’s spice grinder is now on permanent exhibit at the Baltimore Museum of Industry. Both

J.O. and McCormick have websites that include retail shops offering seasoning blends and other convenient edibles. One also finds crab-inspired apparel, from beanie caps down to socks, dog collars and leashes, personalized mallets….

Crab spice of one brand or an other often appears beside the salt and pepper on Maryland tables. One correspondent wrote that she uncaps her tin of Old Bay when she feels the winter blahs. One whiff restores hope that summer will come. Meanwhile, Old Bay Vodka recently launched. Other aficionados add J. O. or Old Bay to everything from Bloody Marys to ice cream.

Among my own treasures is a crab soup recipe entrusted to me by the late, lamented Peter J. Malloy. Pete was an attorney from Baltimore who volunteered as chief chef at the Myrtle Gray Gunning Club here on Elliott Island. Detailed instructions for his famous soup run to two full, single-spaced pages, hand-written on a yellow legal pad. For posterity’s sake, and with a poacher’s apologies to Tidewater Kitchen’s Pamela Meredith, I quote:

Chesapeake Bay

CRAB SOUP

Equipment: 5 gal. soup or stock pot long wooden spoon

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Ingredients (approximate)

3 # Soup Bones

3 to 4 # blade-in Chuck Roast, trimmed & diced, plus bone

2 Smoked Pork hocks

1 Shank bone with meat (beef)

8 Beef bouillon cubes

1 Small head of cabbage, chopped

1 Bunch celery, chopped, including tops

8 Medium onions, chopped

8 Medium potatoes, peeled and diced

2 cups Corn, fresh, frozen or canned

2 cups Lima beans, fresh, frozen or canned

1 cup Peas, fresh, frozen, or