SMITH ISLAND, Md. - From learning how to pick a crab, to making scrapple to trapping muskrats, Delmarva traditions will be shared with everyone visiting the National Folk Festival this weekend.
The Smith Island cake is a signature tradition on Delmarva, and has now become the Maryland State dessert.
At the National Folk Festival this weekend visitors will be able to learn how to make one with none other than Smith Island native Janice Marshall. Marshall will be teaching people how to bake eight, thin layers of cake on the Foodways Stage near Market Street Inn.
"Martha Stewart I am not, but I've been doing this a long time," Marshall said. "We just called it cake over home, but it's traditional to the island."
Marshall says sharing traditions from the island is one of the most rewarding things.
"Sharing traditions is what I like to do, because I like to travel and learn other people's traditions. So I'm hoping people catch onto this," Marshall said.
Marshall said the tradition goes back generations and every woman on the island was taught how to make the cakes. It's become a staple for every holiday, now even on the entire Eastern Shore.
"A lot of women on the island pride themselves with the really thin layers, but my husband he really didn't like them too thin. He liked them thick like this one right here," Marshall said.
If you'd like to learn how to make a Smith Island cake, Marshall will be demonstrating it on Sunday at 1 p.m. on the Foodways Stage near Market Street Inn.
