Burger Off Hospital Trend: XXX Hot Chilli Burger Packs A Crazy Punch
There is news of another Burger Off hospital visit after a couple of journalists couldn’t stand the heat. The incident happened thanks to the “XXX Hot Chilli Burger” at the U.K. dining spot Burger Off. It seems this isn’t even the first time people were hospitalized after trying out this hotter-than-hot offering.
The Argus shares that Arron Hendy and Ruari Barratt had decided to give the XXX Hot Chilli Burger a shot, and soon the burger’s heat had them off to the hospital. It is no secret that this burger is a spicy one, as diners even have to sign a disclaimer before ordering it. As BuzzFeed notes, one has to be over 18 years old to order it, as the burger’s chili sauce ranks ridiculously high on the Scoville scale. It seems an average chili pepper rates 500 Scoville units, while the Burger Off XXX Hot Chilli Burger measures somewhere between 7 and 9 million on that scale.
The two journalists each took one bite of the spicy burger, and initially Hendy said he was fine after drinking quite a bit of milk. However, Barratt took a bite and soon complained of severe stomach pains. It seems he then experienced his legs shaking and his hands went numb. Apparently his eyes soon rolled back in his head. A couple of later, Hendy experienced similar issues. Barratt indicated that he tried drinking milk, but he was hyperventilating and his hands seized. Hendy told people he felt like he was dying. The effects from the offering at Burger Off lead to a hospital visit, but it seems they are both fine now.
Owner Nick Gambardella created the waiver relieving Burger Off from any responsibility regarding the effects of eating the XXX Hot Chilli Burger. Gambardella says, “We do try and take a certain level of responsibility,” as they don’t sell it to anybody who has been drinking alcohol or who is under 18. He says he even tells people it will ruin their weekend. The sauce is made from piri piri chili peppers, but it clearly takes a form much spicier than what is found in virtually any other dish. As a point of comparison, pepper spray is said to rate anywhere between 5,000 and 5 million on the Scoville scale.
The Daily Mail reported a few months back that five diners were hospitalized due to the burger in March, one with a suspected perforated bowel and four others for anaphylactic shock. Gambardella says the burger is a “massive hit” despite the dangers, and it seems even he hasn’t dared to try one himself. Despite the dangers of eating the spicy burger, apparently 59 out of more than 3,000 customers have managed to actually complete it. There is something about spicy food that entices daredevils to try this type of extreme eating, but others think they are nuts. Despite the Burger Off hospitalizations, the owner obviously continues to see the XXX Chilli Burger cultivate a demand with adventurous diners. Would you give this one a go?
