Of Course These Goldfish Crackers Taste Good
Old Bay seasoning goes well on pretty much everything.
May 2023 marks the re-release of a limited-edition flavor of Goldfish crackers that took America by storm on its first go-round. Originally released last spring, Old Bay seasoned Goldfish sold out quickly—so quickly, in fact, that we never got our grubby little hands on them here at The Takeout. But this time around, we did, and we were eager to see for ourselves why the herby, spicy crackers have been such a hit.
How do Old Bay Goldfish crackers taste?
I'll save you (and myself) from a bunch of windup here: The limited-edition Old Bay Goldfish crackers taste terrific. All Takeout staffers can co-sign this opinion, because when we sat in the office munching on the little smiling fish crackers, little murmurs of "oh, these are good" could be heard down our row of snack-laden desks.
And it's no wonder, really, because Old Bay Seasoning has always been a uniquely delightful condiment. The spice blend, famous for accompanying seafood dishes along the East Coast, also pairs well with an impressive variety of other foods. On Goldfish, the dusting is pronounced and markedly different from other Goldfish varieties, with a bright, zesty note that encourages volume snacking.
What is Old Bay Seasoning?
Let's examine the star of these snack crackers, the Old Bay Seasoning. Old Bay is a spice blend owned by McCormick, and it's composed of paprika, red pepper, black pepper, and 15 other spices, many of which are undisclosed. But the primary flavor that really pops is celery salt.
The celery salt accents the powder with a vegetal note that's hard to resist. Celery salt is also a common topping on Chicago-style hot dogs, so there's a good chance we're biased, since the entire Takeout staff lives in Chicago.
Old Bay originates from the Chesapeake Bay area, which is why we normally associate it with blue crab and fish dishes, but really, you can use it on plenty of stuff at home. I keep a shaker in my pantry and put it on things like eggs, and if you mix it into some mayo, you've got a flavorful base for a secret sauce.
This time around, Old Bay Goldfish crackers are available nationwide, so there's a better chance you'll get your hands on a bag. (Here's a list of retailers that currently sell them.) If you're not planning on doing your own work-intensive Old Bay–doused backyard crab boil, snacking on these little guys is easily the next best thing. Summer is the superior snacking season.