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A Chilli-Eating Contest Is Coming To Canberra

A Chilli-Eating Contest Is Coming To Canberra

Chilli lovers of Australia: your time is now.

A chilli-eating contest is returning to Canberra once more, with contestants readying themselves to face off in one of the most vicious battles of sportsmanship that our capital will ever see.

The competition comes as part of the 2017 Canberra World Curry Festival, taking place next month on Saturday July 8 and Sunday July 9.

Among the many internationally sourced chillies that contestants consume will be jalapeños, serano peppers, Thai red and green chillies, ghost chillies, habañeros, Trinidad Scorpions, and even the world’s hottest chilli, the Caroline Reaper.

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Carolina Reapers. Photo: Brannen Gourmet/Instagram

The spiciness of chillies is measured in Scoville heat units. Where the most mild chilli, jalapeños, come in at around 2500 Scoville unites, the Carolina Reaper is a whopping 2,200,000 – which is roughly the strength of pepper spray.

The 2016 competition saw two men scoff down four – yes, four – Carolina Reapers, and tied to win the contest.

If you’re looking for a way to warm up during the cold Canberra winter, munching down on some red-hot chillies might be just the thing for you. Unsure if you can handle the heat? There’ll be milk on hand, but contestant will be disqualified if they take a sip or pass out. Head to the official Facebook event for more info.

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For those who love chilli but aren’t game to enter the contest, fear not – there’s so much more to enjoy at the Canberra World Curry Festival. Now in its third year running, the event will celebrate everything curry-related from around the world, with stalls selling authentic food out of Sri Lanka, India, Thailand and beyond. There’ll even be curried beer and spiced cider from Bentspoke Brewery.

chilli beer
Photo: Bentspoke Brewery/Instagram

The World Curry Festival takes place from July 7-9, from 11am-8 pm each day. The best part? It’s completely free to enter.

(Lead image: Richard Elzey/Flickr)

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