15.08.2009 Chili Eating Contest- Finnish Championship 2009

Riku Heikkilä is estimating how hot the next Naga to be eaten might be. Eyes watering that is not an easy task!

In Lahti, at 15th of August, there was the hottest party ever held in Finland: The Ultimate 2009, where people were competing in chili eating championship contest. There were two categories: Chili Mix and Naga Morich.

Participants of harder category were struggling to win the Bangladesh-trophy, which was awarded to the winner of eating contest of world's hottest chili, Naga Morich (C. chinense).

In Chili Mix -category winner was founded by having to eat a mixture of chilies, from mild to hot, served in sliced, mixed portions, composition varying, which gave contestants a chance of getting easier pick by knowing their chilies- a slight chance but a chance anyway. The Chili Mix -contest was a favorite one, and there were 11 contestants testing their personal tolerance towards capsaicinoids.

Official Finnish Championship of Chili Eating was held for the first time.

Riku Heikkilä was a winner in Naga Morich -contest with nearly unbelievable final result: 52,24 g, which equals nearly 8 large Nagas! Result qualifies also as a new world record. Heikkilä's superiority was well manifested in the fact, that after the contest was already settled, him being surely a winner, he still ate nearly 1,5 Nagas more! In this contest there were seven friends of superhot chilies participating. New champion was given also a trophy to be kept till next year's contest: the Bangladesh-trophy, named after the homeland of Naga Morich chili variety.

Santeri Kyröhonka is feeling hardly any burning at all.

A winner was not found easily in milder Chili Mix category, either. Chiles weighted beforehand were all eaten, and since there was a clear risk of getting too much vitamin C, the level of hotness was increased by the end by offering contestants series of very hot delicatessens: Sudden Death Habaneros (C. chinense), Goat's Weed chiles (C. annuum) and Canarios (C. pubescens). The contest was tight, but a winner was finally found, he was Santeri Kyröhonka, with exceptional amount of chilies eaten: 524,92 g.

Naga Morich -Category: Final Results

Chili Mix -Category: Final Results