Hot dog! Major League Eating will host world’s first kale-eating contest
Major League Eating, the group behind all those hot dog eating contests, have tossed the buns for it newest food gorging competition.
And things could get a little roughage.
Professional eaters will compete in what is billed as the world’s first kale-eating competition on Saturday at the Taste of Buffalo festival in western New York.
Competitors will gather on the steps of city hall to see who can eat the most kale salad in eight minutes. The top prize in the “Kale Yeah!” contest is $2,000.
They’ll chow down on a blend of kale, olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper, 40 pounds of which are being prepared by the city’s Joe’s Deli, according to The Buffalo News.
Major League Eating just sanctioned the annual July Fourth hot dog eating contest at Nathan’s Famous in Coney Island where the winner, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, ate 70 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes.
“Let it not be said that Major League Eating has shirked its responsibilities when it comes to highlighting the wonders of the vegetable kingdom,” Major League Eating says on its website.
“For the first time in human history, the world's greatest eaters will test themselves against the almighty kale — the leafy green vegetable that has captured the hearts and minds of both the culinary set and those for whom their body is a temple.
“This battle of man vs. woman vs. kale promises to be the healthiest eating contest in the history of the world.”
Ranked Major League Eating competitors Eric “Badlands” Booker, Carmen Cincotti and “Buffalo” Jim Reeves have already signed up, the News reports.
For the last decade, Taste of Buffalo organizers have required vendors to include at least one healthy food option on their menus.
“We wanted to do something unique to draw more attention to healthy options at the Taste of Buffalo,” Carrie Meyer, executive director of the Independent Health Foundation, told the Buffalo newspaper.
Kale, she said, is “really trendy today. People are intrigued by it.”
This story was originally published July 6, 2016 at 8:59 AM with the headline "Hot dog! Major League Eating will host world’s first kale-eating contest."