Chinese restaurant probed after challenging customers to eat 108 dumplings
By Carl Samson
A restaurant in southwestern China is under investigation after daring customers to eat over 100 spicy dumplings in exchange for a free meal.
Food for more food: The unnamed restaurant, located in Yibin, Sichuan province, required each participant to eat 108 chaoshous — or spicy wonton dumplings — as fast as possible for one free meal and other prizes.
Violations in question: The dumplings were reportedly free for contestants; however, anything in excess was thrown away. As photos and videos of the challenge were posted online, they caught the attention of local authorities, who quickly moved to investigate whether the activity had violated China’s anti-food-waste laws.
The bigger picture: Food waste remains a sensitive topic in China, whose Great Famine of the late 1950s and early 1960s killed an estimated 45 million people.
In 2021, anti-food-waste legislation was enacted in response to the proliferation of mukbang videos. Under the law, mukbang bloggers may be fined up to 100,000 yuan (approximately $14,000). Meanwhile, restaurants that encourage excessive orders may be fined up to 10,000 yuan (approximately $1,400).
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