Sunday Times

Hot and cold

- By Getty Images

Chilli-eating contests are all the rage in China. This week the city of Ningxiang in Hunan province staged its version. Contestant­s stripped down and plunged into vats filled with icy water and red peppers. They were each given a bowl of chillis and challenged to eat as many as they could in 60 seconds. This year’s winner managed 15 raw chillis. Last year, in Lijiang in Yunnan province, a man ate 47 chillis in two minutes to become the champion. He was presented with a small 24carat gold chilli for his efforts. It’s all small potatoes for Li Yongzhi, China’s legendary chilli-eater who lives in the village of Shawoli in Henan province. His daily diet consists of 2.5kg of chilli peppers. Li, 48, even uses chillies as mouthwash in the morning, according to the People’s Daily Online. China is the world’s biggest exporter of chillis.

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