Page 76 - Grasp English B2 (Student Book)

6 Eating Habits

Next time you’re in a fast-food
restaurant enjoying a burger and
chips, or sitting on the sofa nibbling
on a square of bittersweet dark
chocolate, take a moment to think
of all the crazy people out there
making eating a competition.

Competitive eating first started Takeru Kobayashi, born in Jalapeño poppers are chilli
when people tucked into zesty Japan in 1978, currently holds peppers which are stuffed with
fruit pies during county fairs in eight Guinness World Records cheese. In 2006, Joey Chestnut
the US. for competitive eating. He ate 118 of these fiery snacks
can eat thirteen greasy grilled in ten minutes. Chestnut, an
cheese sandwiches in a minute! American born in 1983, holds
more than forty world records
for competitive eating.

American restaurants sometimes hold
food-related competitions to promote
Not all food in the competitions their dishes. They advertise the event so
is exciting – imagine eating lots of people show up to watch, buying
141 bland, hard-boiled eggs in food whilst they’re waiting. Local news
eight minutes. That’s just what channels will often come to record the
Joey Chestnut did in 2013. event and interview competitors.

The Biloxi Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich Eating Competition was a tribute to ‘the King’ Elvis Presley, who
loved eating this type of sandwich. In 2012, Pat Bertoletti ate thirty-one of the smooth and nutty sandwiches
in ten minutes. He didn’t quite beat the record though, which is thirty-six sandwiches.

74