(no subject)
John Sphar (chilehead@pacbell.net)
Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:36:02 -0700
Indian woman blazes through chili-eating feat Friday, April 10, 2009 By
WASBIR HUSSAIN Associated Press Writer
GAUHATI, India (AP) The ''ghost chili,'' the world's spiciest chili, seems
to suit her palate.
A 28-year-old Indian woman smeared its seeds on her eyes before gobbling up
51 fire-hot chilies in two minutes for an entry into the Guinness World
Records, organizers said Friday.
Anandita Dutta Tamuly performed the feat Thursday, cheered on by celebrity
British chef Gordon Ramsay who was visiting India's northeastern Assam state
for a television shoot for his new global food series.
The thumb-sized chili pepper was accepted by Guinness World Records in 2007
as the world's spiciest chili. It is eaten in India's northeast as a cure
for stomach troubles and a way to fight the crippling summer heat.
The chili has more than 1,000,000 Scoville units, the scientific measurement
of a chili's spiciness. Classic Tabasco sauce ranges from 2,500 to 5,000
Scoville units, while jalapeno peppers measure anywhere from 2,500 to 8,000.
Ramsay tried a bite of the chili and ended up regretting it.
''It's too much,'' he shouted as he pleaded for water from a stage in
Jorhat, 200 miles (300 kilometers) northeast of Gauhati, the Assam state
capital.
Tamuly cried too but for a different reason.
''I felt so terrible I could eat only 51. In 2006, I had eaten 60 of them in
two minutes for a local record event. But I am sure I shall make it to the
Guinness World Records,'' the homemaker and mother of a 3-year-old told The
Associated Press.
''Ramsay comforted me saying there was no reason I should feel sad. He said
my feat was extraordinary,'' she added.
Tamuly has been eating the ''ghost chili'' called ''bhut jolokia'' by locals
since she was 5.
''While children of my age roamed the village to look for berries, I used to
look for 'bhut jolokia' which I took with salt,'' she said.
Organizers said they would send a video to Guinness authorities to certify
the feat.
(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Moderates and knuckledraggers alike may cringe at the sight.
John S.