Tehachapi News

Media sensation demolishes 7-pound taco during Red House BBQ food competitio­n

- BY DARLA A. BAKER dbaker@tehachapin­ews.com

Pandemic or not, we still have to eat, right? Well why not have a food eating contest to put the spice back into life?

Internet and social media sensation Raina Huang is a competitiv­e eater out of Los Angeles who accepted a food eating challenge held at Red House BBQ Saturday afternoon. Hosting the event were owners Mano and Mei Mei Lujan.

Huang and two Tehachapi residents, Jake Line and Jake Zwaas, were tasked to eat a 7-pound Indian taco, dubbed The Big Chief, in under 30 minutes.

The Big Chief is a traditiona­l Indian taco... on steroids! The base of the taco is Indian Fry Bread, approximat­ely the size of a large pizza that weighs two pounds. Toppings include a pound of seasoned beef, a pound and a half of beans, a pound of cheese, and the remaining pound and a half includes lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream and a banana pepper.

“I am really excited,” Huang said before the competitio­n. “I actually never had an Indian taco before, but it looks incredible, and this place smells amazing, so I am ready to eat!”

Zwaas said he had not competed in a food contest before and prepared by not eating all day.

Line said he has attempted to eat The Big Chief twice before, and was actually successful once.

The competitio­n commenced at 3 p.m., and by 3:10 p.m., Huang had demolished her entire taco down to the last scrap while the two Jakes were struggling to hang on.

This was Huang’s 378th win in her competitiv­e food eating career.

Following the win, Huang asked Mano if she could try

some of his brisket featured at the restaurant. Yes, you read that right. She was down for more grub.

In addition to being a foodie, Huang is a passionate cook, singer, model, gamer, photograph­er and designer.

Huang is known for eating an entire 50-inch x 50

inch In-N-Out hamburger in one sitting and also the entire menu of Panda Express.

“I was eating with co-workers and my ‘natural’ meal was just bigger than most people and they told me to go try out a food challenge,” Huang wrote on her

website (rainaiscra­zy.com) about how she got started with food competitio­ns.

Huang said she prepared for the competitio­n by chugging water to stretch her stomach prior to the competitio­n, and by running for two hours the day of to work up an appetite.

“I love going out, meeting new people, and visiting places I’ve never thought about seeing before,” Huang wrote on her website. “It’s been an amazing journey and I will keep going to become the craziest food destroyer ever.”

Follow Raina Huang at rainaiscra­zy.com, rainahuang ( YouTube and Facebook), rainaiscra­zy (Instragram) and omgitzrain­a

( Twitter).

“People know my Indian taco here at the Red House — it kind of started my business,” Mano Lujan said before the competitio­n.

Red House BBQ will offer The Big Chief by appointmen­t only to anyone who is interested in trying one for free. But there’s a catch! You have to finish it within 30 minutes or the check gets passed back to you.

 ?? DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS ?? The Big Chief is a traditiona­l Indian taco... on steroids! The base of the taco is Indian Fry Bread, approximat­ely the size of a large pizza that weighs two pounds. Toppings include a pound of seasoned beef, a pound and a half of beans, a pound of cheese, and the remaining pound and a half includes lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream and a banana pepper.
DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS The Big Chief is a traditiona­l Indian taco... on steroids! The base of the taco is Indian Fry Bread, approximat­ely the size of a large pizza that weighs two pounds. Toppings include a pound of seasoned beef, a pound and a half of beans, a pound of cheese, and the remaining pound and a half includes lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sour cream and a banana pepper.
 ?? DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS ?? From left, Raina Huang had already eaten all of her toppings and was getting started on her Indian Fry Bread as Jake Zwaas and Jake Line continued to plow through their tacos.
DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS From left, Raina Huang had already eaten all of her toppings and was getting started on her Indian Fry Bread as Jake Zwaas and Jake Line continued to plow through their tacos.
 ?? DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS ?? Jake Zwaas, left, and Jake Line, right, pose for a precompeti­tion photo before getting down to business.
DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS Jake Zwaas, left, and Jake Line, right, pose for a precompeti­tion photo before getting down to business.
 ?? DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS ?? Raina Huang finished The Big Chief in just 10 minutes, while Jake Zwaas, center, and Jake Line struggled to hang on.
DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS Raina Huang finished The Big Chief in just 10 minutes, while Jake Zwaas, center, and Jake Line struggled to hang on.
 ?? DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS ?? Jake Line gave up after consuming half of his Big Chief taco.
DARLA A. BAKER / TEHACHAPI NEWS Jake Line gave up after consuming half of his Big Chief taco.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States