OPINION

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By Ned Bradshaw

One Chip Challenge package. Photo credit: flickr user Kirk K.

My dehydrated tongue is barely enduring the scorching heat while tears trickle down my face. My skin tone abruptly turns a scarlet red. My ears are aching and reverberating as I stare at the refreshing milk carton in front of me. I am constantly trying to breathe cool air to soothe the excruciating pain in my mouth. I remind myself of the familiar feeling in my mouth after the effect disappears to take my mind off my flaming blue tongue. This is how I felt when I did the Paqui One Chip Challenge.

The One Chip Challenge is a single tortilla chip coated in Carolina Reaper and Scorpion peppers, which causes extreme heat and discomfort when eaten. The package displays the symptoms of the chip and various warnings to those who believe they can endure the pain it provides. The list includes certain stages of pain, such as “tongue takeover,” a “jolt to the gut,” and “voltage overload.” When I tried it, I experienced all of these stages, and I am convinced no one should eat it.

Earlier this fall, I was sitting on the patio outside of McFall Hall with the One Chip package in my hand, and my friends surrounded me. The alarming labels on the box should have been enough to make me question my decision to eat it. However, I cluelessly thought I could handle the heat. My spice tolerance is poor, since I do not eat spicy foods regularly. The dark blue chip has excessive powder, which is somewhat of an intimidation tactic. The chip was large, and it was challenging to fit into my mouth. When it touched my tongue, the flavor was immensely oversaturated and horrible. My tongue turned a dark blue as the heat and pain exponentially increased. For the first minute, I felt confident in my ability to withstand the heat. But I was very wrong.

My tongue quickly felt like pins and needles were stabbing it repetitively, and that pain spread to the back of my throat. This feeling was the primary symptom and lasted roughly 40 minutes. Then my face turned red, and my eyes began to water. After these symptoms, I thought I was at the peak of the pain I would experience, but then my ears began to ache and ring. This abnormal symptom frightened me, because I didn’t expect it at all. Despite the moderate intensity of my earache, it lasted no longer than ten minutes. At this point in the challenge, it had been 25 minutes since I’d eaten the chip, and the symptoms progressively improved. After all the effects have worn off, stomach discomfort will ruin the rest of your day.

The repercussions of the challenge outweigh the benefits, whether it’s validation from your friends or curiosity about your spice tolerance. Many people who tried the challenge were recorded for embarrassing reactions and posted on social media. Your friends most likely convinced you to do the challenge not to see your pain and spice tolerance, but to witness and record your humiliating reaction to the unbearable heat.

Hot Ones sauces. Photo credit: flickr user walknboston.

Others have taken the plunge. Ben Heidt (‘25) describes his pain as “Immediate heat hits the mouth and tongue; the pain stays for a long fifteen minutes; milk and bananas are your best friends. That’s how you defeat the One Chip.” Like me, Heidt was amidst a large group of teen boys pressuring him to take on the challenge. Along with Heidt, Grayson McNeely (‘25) attempted the challenge. He claims, “[He] will never eat the One Chip again.”

Spicy eating reactions are having a moment. The viral talk show Hot Ones invites celebrities on their show to try spicy foods and sauces, such as the One Chip. Some guests include Lil Yachty, Paul Rudd and Tony Hawk. Hot Ones promotes the trend of eating spicy foods through social media, while increasing popularity and attracting more celebrities to the show. 

Everyone I have talked to that has done the challenge regrets it. The pain and heat are too much to handle for an average person. The risks exceed the benefits by a significant margin, and you do not impress anyone by doing the challenge.