The man who’s made his mark on competitive eating by wolfing down watercress as fast as he can turns out to hate the pungent green.
Glenn Walsh, who’s won the World Watercress Eating Championship (you never knew it existed, did you?) 17 years in a row, snarfing the stuff down in as little as 25 seconds, tole The Telegraph (UK) that he has to rely on his competitive nature to keep going, and that he dreads the contest each year.
He told The Telegraph that the plant is “peppery, stalky and not really enjoyable…I used to quite like cress but not so much anymore.” He added that “Each year I question whether I’ll take part in the eating competition as I dread it and don’t actually like watercress much.”
He described his winning method: “You blank out and go for it and shovel it in there. I just want to get it down and get rid of it.”
His nearest competitor, who also doesn’t like the cress, says Walsh should just “quit while he’s ahead.”
This year’s competition is set for May 17, and marks the official start of the UK’s watercress season (you never knew that existed either, did you?). Last year, the paper reports, 20,000 people attended the event.
Image: World Watercress Eating Championships/Solent News & Photo Agency
