Chilli Boy Feels No Heat
By Ayanjit Sen BBC correspondent in Delhi
By Ayanjit Sen BBC correspondent in Delhi
Bantainum acquired his taste aged 19 months
Little Bantainam Sunn, a boy of under three from the north-eastern Indian city of Shillong, has developed an unusual adult habit.
While his playmates hanker after chocolates, Bantainam prefers something a little more fiery - chilli peppers.
We often find him rummaging in shopping bags in the kitchen looking for chillis Jessica Sunn,mother For more than a year now he has snacked his way through 10 chillies a day with his meals without batting an eyelid, or shedding a tear.
Shillong's local variety of chilli, the Naga Jolokia, is thought to be the hottest in the world, and many adults are unable to stand the heat.
Bantainam, however, eats them by the handful.
His grandmother, Mrs Lilee Sunn, told the BBC that he acquired his unusual taste when his parents took him to a local restaurant.
"Bantainam just took three chillies from the table and munched them watched by his disbelieving parents,'' said Mrs Sunn.
She said despite all efforts to keep chillies away from him, he asks for them daily.
"Now, we have to keep a container full of chillies only for him."
Record-breaker?
Last year Japanese scientists said the Naga Jolokia was the world's fieriest chilli.
I don't like chillis at all, unlike my brother Manisha,sister They found it measured 855 Scoville units - nearly 50% hotter than its nearest rival, Mexico's Red Savina Habanero.
(actually this figure is wrong.. it is almost a million scoville Units which is 3 times hotter than Red Savina which is 570,000 SU.....NJ.ADDICT)
Bantainam's father, Augustine, said his son eats more chillies than chocolates or sweets, and still does not shed tears or show signs of any burning sensation inside his mouth.
He said he had taken his child to a local doctor who found him to be normal and healthy.
Bantainam's two older sisters have no interest in chillies at all, said Augustine, a caretaker at a Roman Catholic cemetery in Shillong.
Local community leaders are convinced the boy is one of a kind, and plan to ask the Guinness Book of World Records to send representatives to verify his singular habit.
Bantainam's father, Augustine, said his son eats more chillies than chocolates or sweets, and still does not shed tears or show signs of any burning sensation inside his mouth.
He said he had taken his child to a local doctor who found him to be normal and healthy.
Bantainam's two older sisters have no interest in chillies at all, said Augustine, a caretaker at a Roman Catholic cemetery in Shillong.
Local community leaders are convinced the boy is one of a kind, and plan to ask the Guinness Book of World Records to send representatives to verify his singular habit.
Naga Jolokia Addict
Adapted from BBC News with thanks Tuesday 28th May 2002 UK
2 comments:
It's a surprise that the Guinness Book of World Records does not want to acknowledge this child's feat after a number of attempts by interested parties. Do you think you can somehow try to garner some more attention for this kid or find the reason behind the reluctance to confer the title on him?
Although the case was called a hoax by some, a number of doctors over the years have verified it based on biopsies, X rays of the fetal skeleton in utero, and photographs taken by the Generic Viagra doctors caring for her. Extreme degrees of precocious puberty in children under 5 are very uncommon but not unheard of.
Post a Comment