3 Of Joey Chestnut's Food Eating Records That Don't Involve Hot Dogs
Sometimes, when the hunger pangs hit, it might feel like you could eat an elephant. While most of us couldn't actually accomplish this feat, there's one food industry legend who just might be able to -- Joey Chestnut. Chestnut is a competitive eater who's been in the game since 2005, and is most well-known for his participation in Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog-Eating Contest. More specifically, he's become a legend thanks to his costly 4th of July record of eating 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes (although Chestnut is banned from the 2024 competition) which he set in 2021.
The king of eating isn't just a hot dog fanatic, however. He's actually participated in dozens of eating competitions, too. In fact, he holds over 50 world records in professional eating. Among the foods in his repertoire are tacos, hard-boiled eggs, and shrimp wontons. In all three categories, he managed to eat over 100 of these foods in eight minutes.
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The Breakdown Of These Impressive Accomplishments
Of the records for tacos, hard-boiled eggs, and shrimp wontons, the first of these accomplishments by professional eater Joey Chestnut took place on February 11, 2012 as part of the CP Biggest Eater Competition 2011-12. In this challenge, Chestnut had just eight minutes to eat as many shrimp wontons as he could, and boy did he deliver -- he managed to consume a whopping 390 wontons.
The next year, Chestnut participated in the first-ever hard-boiled egg competition on October 5, 2013 in Radcliff, Kentucky. During this competition, he broke the then-reigning world record, which was held by Sonya Thomas, who ate 65 eggs in a little under seven minutes. Chestnut more than doubled this record, consuming 141 eggs in eight minutes.
Four years later, on Cinco de Mayo in 2017, Chestnut tested his eating abilities once again, this time at the Mystic Lake Casino Hotel World Taco Eating Championship. During this competition, he came in first place, setting a new world record by eating 126 traditional two-ounce tacos in eight minutes. That was his 41st world record at the time!
He's Also Made Waves At Various Fast-Food Chains
Joey Chestnut's competitive eating career has led him to participate in events run by some well-known brands, too. Besides eating traditional tacos, he also participated in Taco Bell's Why Pay More Soft Taco Challenge in Puerto Rico. At this challenge, he took just 10 minutes to eat 53 soft beef tacos -- a bit less than his traditional taco record, but still an impressive feat.
Another fast food chain Chestnut has challenged is Krystal Burger. At the 2007 Krystal Square Off, Chestnut downed 107 burgers in only eight minutes. His love for burgers doesn't stop with Krystal, either; he also managed to consume 52 White Hut cheeseburgers in 2017 at the White Hut Cheeseburg-Eating Championship at the Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Other brand-name competitions that Chestnut has participated in include the Pizza Hut P'Zone Eating Chow-lenge, where he downed 7.5 P'Zones in 10 minutes, and the Katz's Delicatessen World Pastrami Eating Championship, where he housed 25 pastrami sandwiches. Next time you're feeling hungry, just know that you're probably not as hungry as Joey Chestnut -- who will take on his long-time rival in a one-on-one hot dog eating contest this Labor Day.
Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
