The good folks of Crisfield, Maryland, our neighbor as the crow flies, have been delighting people, from far away as well as close to home, for the past 62 years by sponsoring the Annual National Hard Crab Derby, held over Labor Day weekend. Since 1948 they have been spotlighting one of Crisfield’s greatest natural resources, the blue crab, in one form or another. For approximately 45 of the Derby’s 62 years, showing how crabs should be cooked, served and eaten through the National Crab Cooking Contest has proved to be a very popular part of this three-day event.

This year, as in the past, the contest found families competing with each other and individuals from elsewhere in Maryland and neighboring states. They prepped and cooked in the basement of the First Baptist Church, producing crab dishes in four categories: crab cakes, main dishes, appetizers, and soups. Together, they gave the six judges a day of crab-tasting glory.

When the final dish of 20 was tasted, a lo...