If you’re a fan of spicy food, you may want to try the Red Dog Saloon’s Viper Challenge – eat six chicken wings smothered in sauce made from Naga Viper chillies, known as the world’s hottest chili peppers, in ten minutes. Sounds easy enough, doesn’t it?
I mean how hard can it be to munch on six wings in 10 minutes, right? I can go through a whole bucket of spicy wings in half that time. But these are six little piece of Hell that will make you feel like you’re feasting on molten lava. The Red Dog Saloon, in Londons’ Hoxton district, introduced its Viper Hot Chicken Wings Challenge in December 2011, and since then it’s really been separating the men from the boys. The requirements are pretty straightforward: in order to beat the challenge, a person has to eat six hot wings in ten minutes, and last an extra five minutes after taking the final bite without leaving the table or putting any other liquids or solids in their mouth. It’s that Burn Time that really affects daredevils crazy enough to take on the Viper Challenge. Just to give you an idea of how hot a Naga Viper chili is, Tabasco sauce ranks about 5,000 units on the Scoville Scale, whereas the tiny pepper is ranked at 1,359,000 units. That’s 2,500 times hotter than a Jalapeno.
Photo: What’s for Lunch
In order to take on this super hot challenge, clients must first sign a contract which outlines all possible health issues and removes all legal obligations from Red Dog Saloon. Once that’s done with, they’re given a pair of latex gloves for protection, and the chicken wings are served. The burning hot color and the unbelievably potent smell of the Naga Viper sauce are enough to drive any supporters away, and you’re left alone to battle it out on your own. The timer starts when you take the first bite, and as you hurry to get it over with as soon as possible, your lips start to swell, your nose starts running and tears start flowing down your cheeks. And that’s just after the first wing. By the time you start working on the second one, your tongue feels like it’s being stabbed by a thousand needles, your cheeks are numb with pain, and you can swear your throat is on fire. There’s milk and other beverages on the table, but they’re helpless against the burn of a Naga Viper chili. Those who manage to beat this crazy challenge go into the Red Dog Saloon hall of fame and gain bragging rights, but most fail miserably.
And even after the torture eating is over, you’re still stuck with swollen lips, dilated pupils and horrible stomach cramps. The Red Dog Saloon offers its Cold Fusion Milkshake – a delicious blend of ginger, lemon, pineapple and vanilla – as a remedy, but it can’t really numb the pain and you just have to wait until it passes. Even if they manage to eat the whole serving, most contestants can’t hold down the super spicy concoction, so they go outside to throw up. If you’re ever in London and someone suggest taking on Red Dog Saloon’s Viper Challenge, spare yourself the agony and just say “NO!”
Check out this video above, showing a group of spicy food enthusiasts taking on the chicken wings covered in Naga Viper chili sauce, it’s a must watch.
