Maryland Cuisine

Maryland cuisine is the regional cooking of the U.S. state of Maryland, centered on Chesapeake Bay seafood, especially blue crab, and blending Mid-Atlantic and Southern influences. Its signature dish is the Maryland crab cake, made with lump crabmeat and minimal filler, and Old Bay seasoning, a blend of celery salt, paprika, and other spices, flavors much of the region's seafood cooking. Other regional dishes include cream of crab soup, oyster stew, and Smith Island cake, the official state dessert. Cooking styles vary within the state: the Eastern Shore leans more heavily on seafood, while the western counties show more Appalachian influence.