Many tried but only two survived to conquer the incredible fire of Orange's chilli eating contest.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Six meatballs laden with some of the hottest chillis in the country stood between the brave men and women and the $500 first prize at the Orange Chilli Festival at Towac Park on Sunday.
Stephen Poulter was crowned the chilli king of Orange after devouring the fiery balls of dynamite.
Mr Poulter said he grew his own chillis and was up for the challenge.
"It's addictive," he said.
I had to make them and cook them with a respirator on.
- Rob Dunn, who prepared the contest food
The only other contestant to complete the job was Mark Ivanoff.
"The last time I ate a chilli was probably a year ago," he said.
VIDEO: Watch the chilli eating contest ...
And there's a fair bet he won't be eating another one any time soon.
The man who cooked up the challenge, Rob Dunn of Australian Extreme Chilli Condiments, said they were among the hottest he had ever prepared for an eating contest.
"I had to make them and cook them with a respirator on," he said.
Chilli festival promoter Peter Kaminellis said he was pleased with the inaugural event and hoped to run it again next year. He said about 1500-2000 people attended.
DO YOU WANT MORE ORANGE NEWS?
- Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...