Video | Men vs Food: Hong Kong's toughest food and drink challenges put to the test
As deadly sins go, gluttony is at the lower end of the scale. But that doesn't make it any easier on body and soul
Watch: 48 Hours reporters attempt to defeat the food challenges
January is traditionally detox month, with magazines and websites attempting to outdo themselves with recommendations of the most unappetising and calorie-deficient diets imaginable. We decided to challenge ourselves in a different manner, by filling our stomachs rather than depriving them. We put five of the city's most notorious food and drink challenges to the test.
Big Bite's Homicide Hot Wings Challenge
finish six Homicide Hot Wings in less than three minutes and then last a further three minutes without refreshment or relief to win a badge and place on the wall of honour.
Hot wings were the first on the docket, and as this whole thing was my idea, the onus was firmly on me to complete my challenge with ease. I like spicy food and can stuff my face as well as anyone, so wolfing down six hot wings in less than three minutes seemed easy. My confidence was shaken slightly as I stared at the radioactive red sauce covering the wings which, at 1.5 million on the Scoville scale, is the same strength as pepper spray.
Once I bit into the first wing, getting through them was surprisingly easy; they were hot, but not unbearable, and I'd finished the set in around two minutes, well within the time limit. However, the real challenge was still to come. The manager informed me that I'd have to wait another three whole minutes before I could relieve my burning mouth with anything.
Then started the longest three minutes of my life. I bounced from foot to foot like an incontinent toddler, all the nerve endings in my mouth screaming in agony. Finally the time limit was up and I chugged two glasses of milk, tempering the fire somewhat. I cleaned my face and hands and drank more milk, and the burning was replaced by a tingling sensation which would last most of the rest of the day. My travails were not over though, as, without going into too much detail, the pain would return as the devil food progressed through various parts of my digestive system. This may have been one of the shortest challenges, but its effects stayed with me for days.