Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Enters China

By John | Monday, June 27, 2011 | 8 Comments

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Every July 4th weekend, Nathan’s Famous conducts its annual hot dog eating contest, which it has been running almost continuously since 1916! In an effort to promote its brand in China, Nathan’s Famous expanded the hot dog competition to its first Chinese regional qualifying event several weeks ago:

The sponsor, U.S. fast food chain Nathan’s Famous Inc., hopes to stir up excitement around its new outlets in China and has promised to send the top two winners of this event to compete in its annual international face-off in Coney Island to see who can cram the most wieners down the hatch in 10 minutes.

Hong Kong-native Chris Lam won the competition, cramming in a total of 16 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes – but pathetically low when compared to world record holder Joey Chestnut with *68* hot dogs! Chestnut, who was present at the event, demonstrated his prowess after the competition by eating 39 hot dogs in only five minutes.

With July 4th around the corner, it’ll be interesting to see if Takeru Kobayashi competes this year without causing any trouble and see if he can ever make a comeback to defeat Chestnut, who has won the competition the past four years. If there is one thing I know Americans can lead in, it’s eating!

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Facebook Comments (Beta)

IsaacKojima

The fattening of Chinese people.
http://hubpages.com/profile/Pamela+N+Red PamelaNRed

Lord help. Somebody warn those poor people against the evils of American food.
Takuma

I actually remember watching something on tv about that place but the owner put me off a little by saying somethig to the effect of beig glad that the hotdog eating championship was back in “American hands”. Maybe it sounded like bad sportsmanship but hot dogs in China???? Eeeh doesn’t sound like it would sell well.
A_Lee

Dear Communist Chinese Government:

Please use your unlimited dictatorial powers to outlaw Nathan’s Famous hot dog eating contests. For that matter, just declare hot dogs as an illegal substance and execute anyone who attempts to import them.
Boogerhead

I wish the Chinese government would ban overeating contests out of respect for the nearly 1 billion who still can’t afford a daily glass of milk. Afterall, the Chinese government had no problem forcing Blizzard from changing the trademark skeletons when avatars are slain for more respectful tombstones because the sight of skeletons scattered about echo the sight of the transformation of China into the killing fields by the Japanese. This is no exaggeration. Wherever the Japanese went in China, the land really looked like the Orc horde parts of World of Warcraft.
mwei

According to Chinese friends I know, they say the government actually welcomes these US chains. witness the popularity of KFC and McDee’s there.

supposedly it’s because the franchises pay taxes into the system and heart disease and ED (heart arteries are the only thing cholesterol clogs up) helps to reduce the population.

anybody who’s heard of “recycled oil” used in the franchises know what I’m talking about here?
A_Lee

@mwei Not sure where you heard about recycled oil, but if it is a direct translation of Chinese (回收油), than that refers to food-grade fry oil that has been collected and re-filtered.

Usually, that oil has started to degrade from the high heat of a fryer, so it’s used as bio-diesel. But I guess it could be reused as fry oil after filtering, by less-than health-conscious vendors.
mwei

@A_Lee @mwei VERY GRAPHIC! do not be eating and looking at the photos if you have a weak stomach. you’ve been warned.

I think it’s called “地沟油” which is really apt description of the slop recycled oil:

http://www.chinasmack.com/2009/pictures/recycled-slop-swill-cooking-oil.html

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