The Food Fighters: Running the Gauntlet of Gluttony

For as long as there’s been food and people’s mouths, there’s been competitive eating. As a spectator sport, its origins can be traced back to county fairs and the eating of vast amounts of local produce in a set time. The sport really took off with the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest, which has taken place nearly annually since July 4, 1916. Attracting tens of thousands of fans and over a million viewers on television, the Nathan’s event is considered the Super Bowl of competitive eating. The contest came to mainstream consciousness in 2001 when Takeru Kobayashi shattered the existing record of 28½ hot dogs and buns by eating 50 in 12 minutes. Since then, the stakes have been raised, superstars have emerged and the records keep falling.

The world governing body, the IFOCE (International Federation of Competitive Eating) and its spin-off, Major League Eating, takes responsibility for safety regulations. Rather unusually for a sport, they discourage at-home training and emphasize that competitive eating should only take place in a controlled environment with a medic on hand. Many of the athletes ignore this recommendation.

Competitive eating is open to all. Major League Eating now even has its own game on the Nintendo Wii, where you can play as your favorite gorger. If that’s not close enough to the action for you, then try it here in Beijing …

WHERE TO PLAY

The Rickshaw
Their wing-eating contest is focused on weight. When you order chicken wings, tell them you are interested in the contest and get them to weigh your wings. The month’s winner is the person who consumes the highest weight. The monthly winners will then battle it out in an eat-off for a cash prize of RMB 5,000.
Address: Sanlitun Nanlu (north of the turn-off to The Bookworm), Chaoyang District 朝阳区三里屯南路滚石西门中旅大厦旁

Canada Day
Every July 1, the Canucks host a chilli pepper-eating contest at their national day celebration. Last year the title was shared as two hardy gluttons stomached 75 peppers each in five minutes. With the Fifth Annual Chilli Pepper Eating Contest coming up, now’s the time to start training (shh, don’t tell the IFOCE).

RECREATE YOUR OWN TOURNAMENT

Event: Hamburgers
World Record: 11 quarter-pounders in 10 minutes.
Where: Hollywood 合利屋快餐
(Multiple locations around town: Shin Kong Place, Soho New Town, The Place, and other shopping mall basements)

Event: Buffet
World Record: 5½ pounds in 12 minutes
Where: Golden Jaguar 金钱豹
4/F, North Bldg, The Place, 9 Guanghua Lu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区光华路9号世贸天阶大厦北楼4层

Event: Hot Dogs
World Record: 66 dogs in 12 minutes
Where: No More Bunz Hotdog
Bldg 1, Xingfu Ercun (southwest corner of Xindong Lu and Dongzhimenwai), Chaoyang District 朝阳区新东路幸福二村1号楼(新东路和东直门外的西南角公交汽车站后)

Event: 16” Pizza
World Record: 45 slices in 10 minutes
Where: Pizza Buona
7 Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区工体西路7号

Event: Rice Balls
World Record: 20 pounds in 30 minutes
Where: QQ Rice 西龙传香饭团
S9-32, 3/F, The Village at Sanlitun, Chaoyang District 朝阳区新三里屯路19号院S-32

Event: Stinky tofu
World Record: N/A
Where: Shanghai Cha Ma Doufugan 上海茶马豆腐干
Chaoyangmen Nanxiaojie (near Jinbao Jie), Dongcheng District 东城区朝阳门南小街(金宝街口)

Event: Mayonnaise
World Record: 32 ounces in eight minutes
Where: Jenny Lou’s 婕妮璐
(Multiple locations around town: Sanlitun, Chaoyang Park, Jianwai Soho, Lido, Pinnacle Plaza, etc.)

Event: Burritos
World Record: 11.81 pounds
Where: The Side Saddle
1/F, South wing (next to Ciro’s Pomodoro), Nali Patio, 81 Sanlitun Beilu, Chaoyang District 三里屯北路81号那里花园内南侧1层 朝阳区

Event: Watermelon
World Record: 13.22 pounds in 15 minutes
Where: Street vendors

Event: Scorpions
World Record: N/A
Where: Donghuamen Night Market 东华门夜市
Wangfujing Pedestrian Street, Dongcheng District 东城区王府井东安门大街

Event: Sweet Corn
World Record: 34.75 ears in 12 minutes
Where: Street vendors

PLAYERS’ GUIDE

RULES (according to the IFOCE):

· You can eat the food however you want, by breaking it into pieces or shoving it in whole
· You can dip the food into liquid to make it easier to swallow
· Food with separate parts does not have to be eaten together
· “Roman Incidents” (vomiting) during competition disqualify a contestant if it hits the table or plate
· Once time has expired, competitors can rid themselves of the food however they choose

RISKS

· Choking
· Tearing the stomach lining
· Calorie consumption (by eating 66 hot dogs, the world-record holder consumed more than 12,000 calories in 10 minutes)
· Vomiting can damage tooth enamel and the esophagus
· Major League Eater Cookie Jarvis has said, “When you eat mayonnaise, there's a Jiffy Lube effect.” Be warned.