Feel the Burn: Chilli Champ Gabriel Monroe Talks Records and Spice
Following his fourth consecutive win at the Beijinger Hot Chilli Eating Contest we talked with champion, Gabriel Monroe, on his spicy legacy, his retirement, and how he trains for the hottest competition of the year.
How does it feel to be the Usain Bolt of chilli-eating contests?
Usain Bolt walks away with heaps of money when he wins a race. When I win strangers ask me whether I will have painful diarrhea. So. Better to be me, right? (For the record – no. My body is used to it.)
How will you fill the void now that you are retiring from the contest?
Now that I have accomplished every person’s dream of winning four Canada Day chilli eating competitions, I’ll continue to go after some of my other goals – fixing humanity’s worst habits and systems, bringing responsible and sustainable gaiety to all creatures on earth, etc.
Do you maintain a strict training regime?
I train for spice every time the competition comes around and I’m going to be available to compete. Training for spice for me involves – guess what – eating my food as spicy as possible. I usually train with the Caribbean red habañeros my mother grows for me in her garden in the US. Last year I would pour a cup of hot coffee onto a dried pepper to brew habañero-infused coffee to drink every day at work. That packs a punch. I made trouble for myself a couple of times though eating the coffee-engorged pepper at the end of the work day on an empty stomach. I’ve rarely been able to eat more than two of those peppers in a day and stay healthy.
Also I finished a bottle of Infinity Sauce, which is fabulous stuff that they deliver very quickly to China. I highly recommend it.
Your record is 85 chillies, but this year you only managed 60, what happened?
The last couple of years there hasn’t been anyone to mount a challenge, so I’ve coasted during the last minute realizing that my record was out of reach.
It’s possible that I’ve become a more reasonable person. Also, although I’d love to break my 2006 record, it’s really difficult! I’m not sure I’m the right athlete for it. I’ve never been a fast eater, and I’ve never trained for speed. I only train for spice, because I love spice. I also love to enjoy my food, and teaching myself to shove it down my throat so fast that I can’t taste it is not something I’m interested in. Spice is no problem; speed is definitely my weakness as a competitive eater. Good thing I am not actually a competitive eater.
Describe how your mouth feels after eating 60 chillies?
Eating so many chillies is a powerful feeling. For a lot of people, I think it might be a rather difficult experience. The full body adrenaline euphoria – the sweat, the tears, I don’t get that every day.
First words out of your mouth after eating 60 chillies?
Don’t know. Can’t speak very well for a while.
What song plays in your head when you’re eating chillis?
Would have liked it to be this one.... Always thought it sounded like a perfect piece to figure skate to, if one were into that sort of thing.
Favorite hot Chinese cuisine/dish?
The 麻辣香锅 at 龙顺园麻辣香锅. Honorable mention to the 变态 wings at Xidan and at 宽店.
Any words to the kid looking up to Gabriel Monroe and thinking that they want to emulate your chilli-eating prowess?
Between being able to appreciate fine teas and being able to eat enough chillies in one sitting to kill many small mammals – you can probably choose one or the other. Either will allow you to have different sorts of special moments, so think about it.
Here's the chilli-champ in action:
Video Production by Triple Three. Music by Kevin MacLeod.
