Click here to read the Spanish version.
As reported by CNN, a Chinese restaurant that challenged customers to eat more than 100 dumplings in exchange for a free meal has sparked state controversy with local authorities in the city of Yibin, located in the southwestern province of Sichuan, investigating whether it violated the country’s anti-food waste law.
The anti-food waste law was enacted in 2021, following government criticism of influencers or bloggers who live-streamed ‘challenges’ of binge eating huge amounts of food to increase their influence and followers.
THE CULINARY CHALLENGE
The restaurant’s ‘king of big stomach challenge‘ food challenge -the name of which has yet to be revealed- involved participants competing to eat 108 chaosshous, or spicy wonton dumplings, as fast as possible in order to win a free meal and other prizes.
The controversial restaurant, which advertised this offer on social media to gain a following, ended up entering hostile territory when the State Administration of Market Regulation stated that it would open an investigation to determine whether it had violated the food waste law. Only time will tell.
