- Our Times
- Food
Column
Léo BourdinExtremely popular in the United States and Japan, sports food competitions are a way to highlight local products in France, such as Morteau sausage or cancoillotte cheese, writes food columnist Léo Bourdin.
Published on July 21, 2024, at 7:31 pm (Paris) 4 min read Lire en français
- Share
- Share on Facebook
- Share by email
- Share on Linkedin
Subscribers only
Coney Island, in New York City, on Thursday, July 4. It was a little after 5 pm when Miki Sudo finally took to the stage at Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest, in a fairground setting. The 38-year-old sported a long ponytail impeccably fixed to the top of her head with a ribbon in the colors of the American flag. She was wearing shorts and a sports shirt featuring the Nathan's mascot: a red and blue sausage in the likeness of Uncle Sam.
Independence Day is celebrated in the United States on this day, and as in every year since 1972, the famous fast-food chain has organized a competition of a very special kind. More than 100 participants from all over the world were divided into various categories. To win the title of champion, the rule was simple: Gobble up as many sausage-filled buns as possible in the allotted time.
With a smile on her face, Sudo strode toward the crowd who had come out in force to support her. The cameras of ESPN, the leading American sports network, which was broadcasting the event live, focused on a number on the back of her vest: 48. That's the number of hot dogs the competitor managed to wolf down in fewer than eight minutes at the previous event – her personal best. Sudo is a real star in the world of competitive eating. The mother of one, who's also an oral medicine student, has already won 10 editions of the famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. She is a master of the sport of eating food as quickly as possible.
Microphone in hand, an announcer in a boater hat spoke to the crowd. Sudo took her place at the table in front of a mountain of hot dogs. At her side, 13 other candidates were ready to do battle. There was Michelle Lesco, the 2021 champion, who managed to devour a 5-kilo blackberry tart in less than 10 minutes, and Mayoi Ebihara, a Tokyo native famous for eating 9 kilos of ramen noodles in 60 minutes. The starting signal was given. The participants tackled their first bites. Each had several large cups filled with water, into which they first immersed the sandwiches.
Gargantuan quest
This method, known as dunking, makes the bread more compact and easier to slide down the esophagus. Sudo gobbled up the soaked bread first, then devoured the sausages two by two in short, beaver-like spurts. Her perfectly manicured hands pushed them mechanically down her throat. Behind her, a man in a tank top kept count, flipping the pages of a sign each time a hot dog was eaten. The scene evoked the ring girl sequence in boxing matches, when scantily-clad women climb into the arena to announce round changes.
You have 56.1% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil.
Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois
Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil.
Découvrir les offres multicomptes-
Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil.
Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur, téléphone ou tablette).
-
Comment ne plus voir ce message ?
En cliquant sur «» et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte.
-
Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici ?
Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil. Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte.
-
Y a-t-il d’autres limites ?
Non. Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez, mais en les utilisant à des moments différents.
-
Vous ignorez qui est l’autre personne ?
Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe.
Lecture restreinte
Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article
Pour plus d’informations, merci de contacter notre service commercial.