Some of the world’s top professional eaters gathered Saturday in the plaza of the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center in Little Tokyo to see just how many potstickers they could consume — all hoping to break the world record of 266 in just 10 minutes.
Instead of soy sauce or ponzu sauce, they soaked the dumplings in tea, water and other liquids to make them go down easier.
Many rocked their bodies as they shoved as many gyozas in their mouths as possible, hoping to win the Day-Lee World Gyoza Eating Championship.
Joey Chestnut, the world’s top professional eater, was there, aiming to beat the record that he set just last year.
But 120-pound Matt Stonie, from San Jose, toppled the previous record held by the 230-pound Chestnut, currently ranked the top professional eater, and finished first with 268
“This was a big win from me,” said Stonie, who finished second in 2012. “This was one of the biggest for me so far and I trained hard for this.”
Chestnut was optimistic going into the event.
“I’m in good shape,” he said. “I like to eat and drink a lot, and it’s a little easier with (potstickers) because we don’t have to change the flavor of the food.”
He finished just behind Stonie, with 251.
The competitive eating circuit has exploded in recent years with competitions across the country in foods ranging from the hot dogs to Buffalo wings and even deep friend asparagus. Major League Eating, the body that oversees competitive eating events, counts more than 80 events annually on its calendar.
With the growth of the sport, it has also attracted more women. Six of the top 50 eaters are women. Five women competed Saturday, the most the event has attracted since it started four years ago.
Mary Bowers ranks number 42 in the world, but has attracted attention for showing up at events with homemade purses, fascinators and other wardrobe choices that reflect the food she’s about to eat.
She showed up Saturday with a handbag in the shape and design of a gyoza, a hat and skirt with Japanese food figurines adorning them. She said competitive eating has now become a big part of her life.
“It started on a whim,” she said. “But then the crowds, the fans, they keep me coming back and wanting to do another event.”
The competition drew an audience of more than 500, according to event organizers, and has become something of a highlight of the Nisei Week Japanese Festival, which celebrates Japanese culture.
In its 73rd year, the festival was first created to bring the Nisei, or second-generation, Japanese-Americans together with the aging first generation immigrants during the Great Depression. It has now grown to events that take place throughout the month, including a Miss Nisei Week pageant, parade and other cultural events.
“Our mission is to promote Japanese culture and to pass it from generation to generation, but we also want to reach out to a diverse group of people,” said Steve Inouye, president of the Nisei Week Foundation board of directors. “One way to do that is through food, and this has been consistently growing and attracting more people.”
Events continue through Aug. 25. Details can be found at www.niseiweek.org
