Some people cook or eat food. Others use it to make history. Whether it’s building the most expensive burger or crushing apples with bicep, these 10 strange food world records are wild and may leave you feeling full and confused by the end.
10. Most Expensive Hamburger
A Dutch chef named Robbert Jan De Veen created “The Golden Boy,” a burger that sold for €5,000 (about $5,967) in June 2021. This is no ordinary burger. The bun is made with Dom Pérignon champagne and covered in gold leaf, which will literally give you golden fingers. Then, it’s loaded with Wagyu beef, caviar, and king crab, with champagne-battered onion rings. De Veen created the burger to raise money for a local food bank, donating the full amount to provide 1,000 food packages for families in need.
9. Fastest Time to Eat a Raw Onion
For most of us, eating a raw onion sounds like a tear-filled nightmare. But for Yusuke Yamaguchi of Japan, it was a challenge he crushed. In 2013, he ate a whole raw onion in just 29.56 seconds. The attempt was part of an end-of-year countdown party, making it a unique way to ring in the new year. The previous record was held by Akira Kudo, who achieved his record in 2011 at the same venue.
8. Most Apples Crushed With the Bicep in One Minute
Linsey “Mama Lou” Lindberg from the US holds the female record for the most apples crushed with bicep in one minute, pulverizing 10 apples in 2014. The male record is held by Drew Mitchell of Australia, who crushed 14 apples with his bicep in 2016. This is definitely a bizarre and impressive way to get your daily fruit intake, or at least prepare it.
7. Most Watermelons Sliced by a Sword on a Bed of Nails in One Minute
In Nellore, India in 2021, martial artists Prabhakar Reddy P and Vijay Sai Panthangi teamed up for a death-defying feat. One man lay on a bed of nails while the other placed watermelons on his stomach and sliced them with a sword. They managed to slice 81 watermelons in just one minute! This record combines speed, precision, and an incredible amount of trust, taking fruit salad preparation to a whole new, dangerous level.
6. Highest Popping Toaster
On November 2012, Matthew Lucci, a boy under 10 years old, created a toaster that launched toast 15 feet into the air. Lucci attached a motorized flywheel to the inside of the toaster. When the toast was done, the flywheel would catch the bread and send it flying. He shattered the previous record of 8.5 feet, which was set by a toaster that was part of an art show.
5. Most Cow Brains Eaten in 15 Minutes
In 2002, competitive eating legend Takeru Kobayashi ate 57 cow brains in just 15 minutes! The brains, which are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, were served in a burger-like fashion. Kobayashi is one of the most famous competitive eaters in the world, known for his ability to consume huge quantities of food at incredible speeds.
4. Most Stinging Nettles Eaten in One Minute
Most people try to avoid stinging nettles, but Alex Williams of the UK decided to eat them. In 2005, he ate 5 feet of raw stinging nettles in one minute. Raw nettles are a painful plant, covered in tiny hairs that can irritate the skin and temporarily turn your tongue black. Williams is no stranger to this plant, and he’s also the farmer who started the World Nettle Eating Championship in Dorset, England.
3. Strangest Diet
Michel Lotito, also known as Monsieur Mangetout (“Mr. Eat-All”), had one of the strangest diets in history. From 1959 until his death in 2007, he ate metal and glass. Gastroenterologists who X-rayed his stomach revealed he was able to consume 900 grams (2 pounds) of metal per day. His diet included bicycles, supermarket trolleys, TV sets, beds, and even a Cessna light aircraft. By 1997, he had eaten nearly 9 tons of metal.
2. Fastest Sandwich Made Only Using Feet
In 2000, Rob Williams of Austin, Texas, set the world record for the fastest sandwich made using his feet. He assembled a bologna, cheese, and lettuce sandwich, complete with olives on cocktail sticks, in under two minutes! While it’s an incredible display of dexterity, it’s probably safe to say that no one lined up to eat the finished product.
1. Most Milkshake Dispensed From Someone’s Nose
In August 1999, Gary Bashaw Jr. of the US set the record for the most milkshake dispensed through the nose. He mixed milk and chocolate powder in his mouth and then dispensed 54 milliliters (1.82 ounces) of the resulting chocolate milk from his nostril. This strange and disgusting feat was performed in Los Angeles. It’s a record that’s unlikely to be challenged anytime soon, and we think that’s something to be grateful for.