This Seasoning Will Forever Change The Way You Eat French Fries

Despite the name, french fries are iconic in the American food realm. They're on the menu of almost every fast food and casual dining restaurant and can be dressed up with different toppings and seasonings, from gravy to cheese sauce and garlic powder to sea salt.

One seasoning is a favorite for seafood but shouldn't be overlooked as a tasty addition to french fries. You may not think of Old Bay and french fries together, but it's a combination that works. Old Bay's unique mix of spices is known for bringing out the flavor of foods without overpowering them.

Old Bay contains celery salt, dried red and black pepper, paprika, and other proprietary ingredients. But why does this seasoning work so well with french fries? The savory flavor of Old Bay is not overpowering, giving the fries a subtle, zesty flavor. The paprika tacks on a smoky heat, while the red and black pepper adds fruity and earthy notes. To tie it all together, the celery salt provides an aromatic balance.

Old Bay seasoning has been adding flavor to seafood since 1939 — when Gustav Brunn sold his first bottle of what would turn out to be his signature product. Brunn's Baltimore company was located across the street from the Wholesale Fish Market, and seafood and Old Bay have been a winning combination since.

Despite its origins in Maryland cuisine, Old Bay seasoning has been typically used for Southern seafood boils. The seasoning, often with lemon and salt, is added to water to create a flavorful broth in which corn, potatoes, shrimp, and sausage are cooked. It gives a unique flavor to the dish that cooks have relied on for years.

Old Bay has become an iconic seasoning and has spawned products such as Old Bay Goldfish crackers, cheese curls, and potato chips. When some people think of flavorful seasonings, Old Bay is what they think of, so why wouldn't you add it to french fries?

To get the most flavor in your fries, use this tip: Sprinkle the Old Bay on the fries when they first come out of the oven or fryer. The potatoes will still have moisture, allowing the seasoning to adhere. Because Old Bay already contains celery salt, taste-test the seasoned fries before reaching for the salt shaker.

If you enjoy the flavor Old Bay gives your fries, try dipping them in mayonnaise with a touch of the seasoning added. French fry lovers in other countries often use mayo as a dip for their fries instead of the American custom of using ketchup. Adding Old Bay seasoning gives ordinary mayo a punch. 

Whether you bake the potatoes, air fry them, or fry them the old-fashioned way, fries with a sprinkle of Old Bay on top are bound to be craveable. You may find it's the secret to the best fries of your life.