1. Maryland Does Crab Cakes Like No Place In The World

If Maryland is known for anything, its crab—especially blue crab. Steamed, fried, in cake-form. No matter how you have it, Maryland crab is the best.

But, let’s be honest, Maryland crab cakes are out of this world. Don’t believe me? Head to Faidley Seafood in Baltimore or the best crab cakes you’ll ever taste.

2. Forget Your Block, In Maryland Your County Is Your Family

One of the first things you’ll notice when you move to Maryland is that there is a lot of county pride—each county is really known for something unique—there are even nicknames for counties (MoCo, HoCo, PG…etc.).

When you tell people what county you’re from, it’s like telling them part of your identity. Basically, your county is your family (often, literally!).

3. If Maryland Was A Flavor It Would Be Old Bay Seasoning

People generally associate Old Bay Seasoning with two things: Maryland and seafood. But if you’re a true Marylander, you know that Old Bay goes on pretty much anything you can think of (um, hello, Old Bay fries and Old Bay popcorn? Amazing).

4. There’s Nothing More Maryland Than Natty Boh

National Bohemian, or as it’s known to everyone in Maryland, “Natty Boh” is how Maryland gets down. In fact, 90 percent of all Natty Boh sales are from Maryland. This will always be a Maryland beer.

After all, Mr. Boh lost his eye so this state could drink beer in peace.

5. The Baltimore Ravens Are Maryland’s Salvation

It was a sad, sad day in Maryland when the Colts left Marylanders for Indianapolis. They thought they’d never get over it.

So, after a brief phase of rooting for the Redskins (it was a dark time) Marylanders were finally blessed with an awesome, super-bowl-worthy football team: The Ravens (yes, named after Poe’s Raven…one more win for the lit geeks of Maryland!).

6. So, Naturally, All Marylanders Will Resent The Colts Forever

There is some serious hatred for The Colts in Maryland. After they abandoned Maryland for Indianapolis, there is absolutely no reason anyone in Maryland in his or her right mind would still root for them.

7. The Baltimore Orioles Are “O”-Mazing

The Oriole’s are O-tastic—and everyone in the state of Maryland knows this.

Maryland is responsible for that wonderful National Anthem we all sing at the beginning of sports events, afterall. “O! say does that star-spangled banner yet wave…”

8. Everyone In Maryland Has A Favorite Musical, And That Musical Is “Hairspray,” Hon!

If you’re going to be a Marylander, you should probably memorize the soundtrack to “Hairspray.” In school, you learn the lyrics to “Good Morning, Baltimore” before you learn your ABCs. True story.

So, get ready to be singing show tunes to represent the awesomeness of being a hon in Maryland!

9. Speaking of Hons… If You Want To Fit In You Have To Learn The Maryland Lingo

If you’re moving to Maryland, get ready to call everyone and their mother “Hon”—it’s just the polite, Maryland way to refer to a lady.

And while on the topic of things Marylanders say. No. 1: It’s not Maryland. It’s Mare-lin. Like Marilyn, kind of. And nobody washes their hands. They “warsh” them.

Got it, hon? Good.

10. Icy Delights’ Snowballs In the Summer Make Marylander’s World Go Round

Until you’ve tried an Icy Delight’s Snowball, you haven’t really lived. Icy Delights has a ton of unique flavors to choose from and are the epitome of a summer day in Maryland. Nice try, Rita’s but nothing beats homemade Icy Delights!

11. Ledo’s Pizza Is The Best Thing Since Sliced Square Pizza

All Marylanders can agree that Ledo’s square-shaped pizza is out of this world. You don’t know Maryland until you indulge in Ledo’s. Trust me, you won’t regret it.

12. Maryland Is Home To A Baseball Battlefield

The United States Naval Academy is located in Annapolis. So, as you can imagine, Maryland has some serious Navy love.

This also means the US Army-Navy game one of the state’s favorite sporting events. In case you were wondering, Navy leads in this annual tradition, 58-49. But the real winner of this game… America, obviously!

13. Maryland Has One Seriously Spicy Rivalry

Remeber when i said Old Bay is the flavor of Maryland, well…. thats really only half the story.

Old Bay definitely is some Marylanders favorite spice, but for indie spice lovers it’s all about J.O.

The population is split about 50/50 on who prefers Old Bay and who prefers J.O. Spice. And while J.O. is definitely lesser known, this family business has been spicing up Maryland since 1945.

14. Sunrises on Maryland Beaches Will Make You Cry Tears With Angel Wings

Regardless of where you watch the sunrise from a Maryland beach, you will NOT be disappointed. There’s no better place in the world to watch the sun come up over the water. Whether you go to Ocean City, North Beach, or Assateague (yes, this is the best place to watch it, but we’ll get to that in a minute…) you’re going to feel blessed. After all, Maryland’s beaches are the cleanest, nicest beaches in the U.S.

15. The Real Bronies Live In Maryland

Maryland is home to not one, but two, wild islands—Assateague and Chincoteague Islands. These islands are both filled with wildlife, oysters, biking and, of course beautiful, quiet, clean beaches.

However, that’s not all. These islands are also home to wild ponies! Like, straight out of the best dream of your life, wild ponies appear on the beach. No joke.

16. Maryland Has Free Books For Everyone!

The Book Thing Of Baltimore is like heaven on earth for literary geeks: it’s a bookstore with thousands of free books. Yes, free books. Stacks and stacks of, ’em.

This non-profit, volunteer driven bookstore has one goal: to make sure books get into the hands of book lovers for no cost. That’s just the way Maryland works.

So get your lit geek on at The Book Thing of Baltimore.

17. There is Nothing Lax About John Hopkins’ Lacrosse Team

Lacrosse is Maryland’s official state team sport. Which explains all of the lax bros with lax sticks tattooed on their chests (really…).

While everyone loves watching any and all Maryland colleges play lacrosse, there’s no doubt about it: Johns Hopkins is, by far, the best lacrosse team in the state and the most loved.

So if you’re moving to Maryland, get ready to play (or at least watch) some lax, brah.

18. You Can’t Help But Cheer For Maryland’s University Sports Teams

Maryland has some great college sports teams, and even more enthusiastic fans. Don’t believe us? Head to any University of Maryland, Loyola Maryland, or Johns Hopkins sporting events and you will witness the insane fandom first hand.

No matter which college you root for, there’s nothing like rooting on your Maryland college sports!

19. The Fresh Fruit On Maryland’s Farms Will Change Your Life Forever

Maryland is full of farmland. And that farmland is filled with delicious fruit: apples, cherries, peaches, blueberries, you name it.

Maryland is proud of it’s farm-to-table attitude and either grow their own fruit, or buy local. Because, why outsource when the freshest fruit is right here?

A local favorite? Baugher’s Orchards. Go apple picking here and make the best apple pie you’ll ever taste.

20. Find Something Bizarre At Baltimore’s Bazaar

The Baltimore Farmers Market and Bazaar is not only filled with fresh, local produce but also really crazy, weird, unique arts, crafts, jewelry, clothes, second-hand furniture, etc.

Basically, if you’re looking for something unique or quirky, head to the Baltimore Bazaar and be pleasantly surprised!

21. Heavy Seas Brewing Company Is A Local Brew Worth Toasting To

There are few things Marylanders love more than a good local brew. So, when breweries like Heavy Seas do their thing, Marylanders raise their glasses.

Take a tour at Heavy Seas brewery or head to Heavy Seas Ale House for incredible food with your amazing, Maryland-brewed beer.

22. The Breakfast Sandwiches At THB’s Are Seriously Worth Waking Up For

Towson Hot Bagels knows how to make a breakfast sandwich and we are oh-so glad they do.

Going to THB’s on a Saturday morning is like heaven on earth. THB’s is part of the reason any Marylander is glad to be from Maryland. Put a little J.O. spice on it and you’re good to go!

23. Quoth The Raven, Nevermore…

The literary giant, Edgar Allen Poe, wrote many of his most famous short stories, poems, and science fiction in Baltimore. His writing inspired poets and playwrights all over the city, and a love for Poe extends throughout the state.

He was buried in Baltimore and, for almost seven decades, a mysterious “Poe toaster” would come to the grave on Poe’s birthday, pour a shot of cognac, and raise a toast to Poe, leaving only an unfinished bottle of cognac and some red roses behind at the gravesite.

This went on for 75 years until the tradition ended in 2006 for an unknown reason, but all Marylanders like to think one day the “Poe toaster” will return…

24. Maryland’s State Flag Is Better Than Your State Flag. Definitely

Marylanders have a lot of state flag pride… and we can see why. It’s freakin’ glorious.

No other state in the country has a flag that looks like it just came straight out of “Game of Thrones.” Seriously. This is probably why Marylanders make sure to have a ton of state flag paraphernalia on them at all times.

What do you love about living in Maryland? Leave a comment and let us know!

This article ran online on movoto.com, August 12, 2014 ~ I copied the entire article – no revisions or editing done – just the way it was posted!

Enjoy reading and deciding to move to Bawlmer, hon!,

🙂 Pamela

Nothing says Chesapeake Bay more than Old Bay and crabs, or Old Bay and just about anything seafood, right? Turns out the reddish seasoning on your crabs and shrimp may not be Old Bay, but rather another spice blend that’s been around nearly as long.

Baltimore Sun reports if you’re buying from a carry-out or crab house, more than likely it’s J.O Spice.

J.O. is also in regional products that you may have simply assumed were spiced with Old Bay, such as Route 11 Chips.

“Old Bay is in the grocery store,” Ginger Ports, vice president of marketing and sales for J.O. Spice Co told the Sun. “J.O. is in the restaurants.”

Is it a bait-and-switch?  Turns out, no. Old Bay was started in 1939 by a German immigrant fleeing Nazi Germany. J.O. Spice began in 1945 by a couple born and raised on Tangier Island, Virginia, J.O. (James Ozzle) Strigle and his wife Dot.

Both companies set up spice shops in Baltimore. They both have secret recipes, but share the basics: celery salt, red and black peppers and paprika. Several online cooking websites swear they’ve discovered the Old Bay recipe.

No one much cares to break down the J.O. combination, although J.O. claims to use a “custom blend using ingredients and a special salt, which adhere to the steamed crab.”

Old Bay went big-time when it was bought by McCormack & Company in 1990. J.O. stayed a family-owned company based in an industrial park just outside the Baltimore beltway on the Washington, DC, side.

J.O. Retail Store opened in April, 2014 in Halethorpe, MD

Unlike Old Bay, it has a factory outlet at the warehouse, next to the corporate office. The way factory outlets used to be.

Old Bay’s outlet is in Baltimore’s Harborplace.

That just about sums up the difference between the two spices.

The Sun reports you won’t find J.O Spice in a Safeway, but the grocery story chain does steam its shrimp in J.O.’s No. 1 blend.

This article ran on ChesapeakeLiving.com, August 2014 ~Written by Staff. I copied the entire article – no revisions or editing done – just the way it was posted!

Enjoy reading another great article,

🙂 Pamela

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — She may be queen of the Windy City, but she still knows how to eat like a Baltimorean.

Oprah Winfrey, a former anchor here at WJZ-TV, dined at Captain James Landing Wednesday.

The billionaire media mogul posted a picture on Instagram with longtime partner Stedman Graham, smiling and enjoying crabs.

“Crab feast in Baltimore! #CaptainJames,” read the caption.

Winfrey became an anchor here at WJZ-TV in 1976 and later went on to co-host the local talk show “People Are Talking” with Richard Sher.

In 1984, she moved to Chicago to host her own morning talk show.

J.O. Spice would just like to point out that both Captain James and The Crab Bag are customers of J.O….while we believe wholeheartedly that competition makes the world go round and round…we do like to give credit where credit is due. What spice is on the fries down in Ocean City? It’s not J.O. and we won’t be happy if you say it is because it’s a Flat. Out. Lie.

This world is big enough for Coke & Pepsi, for tissues & Kleenex, for Ghirardelli & Hershey’s, for J.O. & Old Bay. But just like all of us, we’d just like to be given some credit that we are here and we are working hard to stay! A small business in the midst of big…now that’s cause for celebration.

We’ve been around since 1945, and just want to be recognized for hard work, dedication to our customers and for contributing to great memories made at crab feasts, dinners, reunions, weddings and so much more! We’re proud to be on your table and that table is big enough for the Old Bay can and the J.O. Spice bucket!

Enjoy your crab feasts,

🙂 Pamela

The crabs piled on a table at a backyard crab feast, hot and spicy, are probably sprinkled with a unique taste many in the area associate with summer in Maryland.

If the crabs came from one of the area’s carryout restaurants or crab houses, more than likely the seasoning isn’t the iconic Old Bay. Chances are, it’s a seasoning mix produced in an industrial park off Sulphur Spring Road.

This is no McCormick with its giant campus in Hunt Valley and hundreds of employees. J.O. Spice Co. on Old Georgetown Road is still family run and employs a couple dozen people to produce seafood seasoning, as well as a whole line of products to spice up meat, fish and poultry.

“You go to a restaurant and you eat your crabs, and you think you’re eating Old Bay,” said Ginger Ports, vice president of marketing and sales for J.O. Spice Co.

And, Ports said, that’s fine. “That’s a Maryland icon. There’s a place for that product,” she said.

“Old Bay is in the grocery store,” she said. “J.O. is in the restaurants.”

At many area crab houses, the famous crustacean is encrusted with J.O. Spice. J.O. counts crab houses from Lansdowne to Ocean City among its regular customers, delivering both their standard seasonings as well as custom blends — and if business is good, sometimes it can be an emergency delivery, Ports said.

Sea Hut Inn on Frederick Road has been seasoning its crabs with J.O. since it opened 31 years ago, according to owner Sue Yin.

Sea Hut orders its own custom blend from J.O. “We have a little bit of everything in it,” Yin said.

“Most crab houses have their own blend,” she added.

“In my store, we use J.O. for all of our crabs,” said Barry Koluch, who owns Cravin’ Crabs in Baltimore Highlands with his father, Paul Koluch. When the Koluchs were getting ready to open Cravin’ Crabs on Annapolis Road about five years ago, J.O. mixed up small batches for the Koluchs to take home and sample.

After a few trials, they hit upon a blend that balances the salt and the heat. “We wanted it to appeal to the masses,” Koluch said.

J.O Spice Co., founded in 1945 in a Baltimore storefront, has been producing their combinations of spices — all kinds of blends, sauces and batter mixes — in Halethorpe for the past 24 years. In December, the company took over the adjacent space, a former closet company, to double their space, adding 14,000 square feet to their plant.

A family-owned operation, it was started by James Ozzie Strigle and his wife, Dot, who moved to Baltimore from Tangier Island, Va., where Strigle had been a waterman, according to the company website. Strigle produced the original, No. 1, blend to use on all seafood. The mix for crabs, No. 2, came along later, laced with the flake salt favored by steamed crab aficionados, according to Ports.

The company remains in the hands of family. Don Ports, Strigle’s grandson, is president now. Ginger Ports is his wife.

Their main focus is the local crab house — actually, seafood houses from New Jersey to Virginia with distributors taking their spices much farther. Small as they are, J.O. is spicing things up as far away as Australia and Singapore, too.

With the company delivering their spice mixes directly to restaurants and crab houses, you might not have heard of it. “J.O. has always been on the wholesale side,” Ports said.

You won’t find it on the spice shelves at Giant or Safeway — although Ports said Safeway does steam its shrimp in J.O.’s No. 1 blend.

Local seafood shops carry small bottles of No. 1 and No. 2 and some of their other seasonings and batter mixes.

Busy season

J.O. produces enough spice to season 7 million to 12 million bushels of crabs a year. Some 1,750 to 3,000 tons of raw materials produce 3.5 to 6 million pounds of spice blends every year, according to Ports.

“Summer is the biggest time,” Ports said.

On a recent Thursday, employees arrived at work before 5 a.m. to prepare a shipment to Ocean City restaurants.

In the cavernous warehouses, a forklift scooted through, moving pallets of spices in 50-pound bags. Nearby, gray bins and tarp-like sacks, some weighing more than a ton, awaited their moment in the hoppers where spices are mixed. Bags of ground mustard were piled to the ceiling. A bulk bag of No. 1 seasoning weighs in at 1,800 pounds.

In another room, workers are filling shipping boxes with J.O. products.

The plant is kept meticulously clean. Products are tested for bacteria — and metal: Before a box can ship, it has to pass through the metal detector.

If anything is detected, the box is tossed. Ports said recycled cartons caused a problem one time — the recycled cartons contained bits of recycled staples.

The expanded space has some room for expansion, too. A test kitchen will be added to the site later this year, according to Ports.

“We blend 50 [,000] to 60,000 pounds a day,” said Sean Dunbar, of Arbutus, the plant manager, driving the forklift. “In summertime, it’s all day long. It never stops.”

And demand is so great, spices go out on trucks almost as soon as they’re mixed. “When we make it, it’s gone,” said Dunbar, who has worked at J.O. for 15 years.

Lee McNeil, the assistant plant manager, nodded in agreement. “When I saw the quantity, I didn’t believe it. I looked up and the shelves were empty. It was all gone,” said McNeil.

Later in the day, it was quieter, but still busy. In a small room near the gift shop, laser printers were adding logos and names to mallets and glasses, were etched with logos. Staff members were pasting labels on jars and filling orders. “A lot of it is still hand labeled,” Ports said.

More than seasoning

Spice only begins to describe J.O.’s participation in the traditional crab feast. They print bushel boxes for crab houses, stock brown paper to spread on the tables, order crab mallets by the trailer truck-full. They stock big paper bags and even vinegar, too.

“We literally provide everything but the crabs,” she said.

Cravin’ Crabs, for example, buys its other supplies — paper, bushel boxes, seasonings and custom crab mallets — from J.O., too, Koluch said.

Since the demand for crab seasoning tends to drop in the off season, J.O. started a small gift shop in an unused space a few years ago. It also expanded into more than double its original space when the facilities grew last winter.

Almost as big as the spices are J.O.’s custom crab mallets. Ports came up with the idea to laser print wooden mallets for restaurants, crab feasts, even weddings.

Not everyone in the company was sold — until they sold 650,000 mallets in the first year, according to Ports. Last year, they sold some 800,000 customized mallets.

“It’s really taken off in the last four years,” Ports said.

Customizing mallets, it turns out, is a very competitive part of their business. Ports remained mum on their supplier and the kind of wood they use. “They only make mallets for us,” she said.

The gift shop adds another layer of crab-love to the mix. They carry all of their own products, including the seafood seasoning in 10-pound buckets and kitchen spices, along with all kinds of crab-related stuff: T-shirts, wall hangings and crab encrusted jewelry.

All of the wares come from small businesses and family businesses. And they are made or designed in the United States.

A series of wall plaques designed in the U.S. are actually produced in Indonesia, Ports allowed, but that’s the exception.

The thinking was, she explained, “we could help other small businesses.”

The diversity of their products keeps the staff working year round, Ports said. The staff mixing spices in summer may find themselves working on corporate gift baskets or shipping mallets, but “it keeps them busy,” Ports said.

There’s no need for layoffs in the winter or hiring temporary employees in the summer. They work full-time with time off for two weeks at Christmas and on every holiday.

“Everyone is like a family,” she said.