Cover Photo Credit: Christian Dela Cruz
On Wednesday November 26, UNB Fredericton’s McConnell Dining Hall hosted their yearly hot wings contest. The McConnell staff randomly selected twelve contestants to compete in six rounds of increasingly spicier wings with sauces that reached the millions in Scoville Heat Units (SHU).
The contest challenged contestants to finish sets of three hot wings as quickly as possible. The rules were strict: 1) No asking for milk (which led to disqualification), and 2) No leaving food in the mouth. Each round was timed, and host Gerald MacMillan eliminated the two slowest contestants, raising the stakes along with the heat.
MacMillan, who is also McConnell Hall manager and organizer of the event, explained the spice progression:
“We start off slow… but then we go into the hundred thousand Scoville, and then we’re going to the millions. It builds up to that.”
Each contestant had their own strategies to become the winner. Asher Latinah, a first year contestant, shared:
“I was taught the trick of not touching my lips to the chicken so it won’t burn as much.”
Students cheered as the competition narrowed down, leaving the final two contestants to face the infamous Giv’er Hot Sauce with the Carolina Reaper label, currently among the world’s hottest chili peppers.
The final round was fierce, ending in a tie between their times. The winner was determined using a kitchen scale, with the champion Mario Khoury edging out the runner-up Holly Moores by a whopping 4-gram difference in chicken consumed. Mario Khoury received a fifty-dollar gift card, while Holly Moores took home a twenty-five-dollar one.
Gerald MacMillan expressed his intentions with the event:
“It’s about, you know, student engagement, everyone having fun, supporting their favorite student… just having a moment of community.”
As such, it’s safe to say this year’s McConnell Hall Hot Wings Challenge ended successfully.
