XXX: Spiciest burger in the world?

Two journalists in the U.K. were hospitalized after trying to eat a burger alleged to be up to 16 times spicier than pepper spray.

by John Tyburski

Copyright © Daily Digest News, KPR Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

First published at Daily Digest News on July 10, 2014

The British are not really known for spicy food, but at least one U.K. establishment may be serving the hottest burger on the planet. For two U.K. journalists, the burgers were spicy enough to land them in the hospital.

Ruari Barratt and Arron Hendy ordered the “XXX Hot Chili Burger,” an insanely spicy menu item at a place in Hove called Burger Off. Minutes after one bite, Barratt felt serious stomach pain and numbness in his hands. His legs began shaking, and his eyes rolled back in his head, according to a report by The Argus.

Said Barratt in a statement, “It was hard to walk. I needed to drink milk to neutralise the burning, which was hard because I was hyperventilating so much my hands had seized up.”

Hendy also took only a bite and decided the secret sauce was just too spicy. Although he did not experience an immediate reaction, he eventually suffered similar problems severe enough to join Barratt at the hospital.

“I was in so much pain I was telling people I felt like I was dying,” said Hendy. “It’s embarrassing but it felt that bad. If you’re thinking of trying this burger for a dare, just don’t.”

Burger Off owner Nick Gambardella is well-aware of the serious nature of his spicy burger. He will not serve the burger to anyone under 18 years of age or to anyone who has not signed a waiver releasing the staff from responsibility for any adverse health effects.

The sauce used in the burger is about a seven to nine million on the Scoville spiciness scale, Gambardella estimates.  Pepper spray typically measures from 500,000 to 5 million scale units, while Tobasco sauce comes in at a mere 2,500 to 5,000.

“We do try and take a certain level of responsibility,” said Gambardella. “I spend about as much time convincing people not to try one as I do selling them. I tell people it will ruin their weekend.”