1st September, 2016
A British chef who ate the world’s hottest noodles – 4,000 times stronger than Tabasco sauce – went deaf for two minutes after scoffing the dish.
Ben Sumadiwiria, 22, from London, found the dish at a tiny back street restaurant in Jakarta, Indonesia.
The ‘death noodles’ have 100 bird’s eye chilies crushed together giving it a Scoville rating of 20 million – compared with hot Tabasco which is just 5,000 on the scale.
After Ben scoffed the noodles he started sweating, became dizzy, had to soak his head in water and even went deaf for two minutes.
The chef said: “This was definitely the hottest thing I’ve ever eaten. Within seconds of tasting them I was sweating and feeling sick.
“Everybody who tried them threw up outside in the drain. They’re known as ‘death noodles’ and some locals can even finish a whole plate, which is just crazy.
“We’ve done the calculations and these are definitely the hottest noodles in the world. They are definitely the hottest commercially available dish.
“I’m not really partial to spicy food but when somebody throws down a challenge I just can’t say no.
“I went temporarily deaf and my mouth was burning for hours afterwards.”
Ben, a full-time chef and video maker who has Indonesian parents and was visiting family in the area, paid 34 Indonesian Rupees (2p) for the plate of noodles and a fried egg.
One birds’ eye chili has a rating of 200,000 Scoville units, the measurement for a food’s hotness.
One hundred condensed together gives the ‘death noodles’ a combined rating of 20 million.
Ben became so hot after eating the noodles he had to take off his shirt and hold his head under water to cool off.
The 22-year-old downed half-a-dozen glasses of water, milkshake and ate a cold banana but was still dizzy from the intense heat in his mouth.
He lost his hearing for two minutes and threw up outside in the street several times.
Ben added: “You don’t really taste the noodles, it’s just pure heat with a tiny hint of noodles.
“My lips were burning and I couldn’t feel anything. I’ve eaten wasabi and plenty of other hot food, and I’d take that any day over those noodles.”