Taiga Farm & Vineyards and Northwind Natural Foods Co-Op are partnering with the Gogebic County Fair to host the first annual Hot Chili Pepper Eating Contest on Saturday, August 11 at 4pm! Fire-eaters will get their chance to prove that they can eat hotter and hotter chili peppers than their competitors.
Registration will be 3pm, with space available for the first 20 entrants. Nine rounds will progress with chili heads eating a hotter and hotter chili each successive round. They start with a mild Poblano pepper and finish with the Guinness World Record hottest pepper, Carolina reaper. Participants will have one minute to eat the entire chili pepper – flesh, seeds, and pulp, and then be required to wait 2 minutes before moving on to the next round. Participants can withdraw from competition at any time by either drinking from the provided container of milk, or signaling to the judge that they can’t stand the heat any longer! In the event of a tie, remaining contestants will be given 3 Carolina Reaper peppers and the first one to finish will be declared the winner! Two cash awards, $100 for 1st place and $75 for 2nd place, will go to winners. Participants must be 18 years or older.
