Hombré! What’s better than a Mad Mex burrito? Clearly, the answer is a one-kilogram burrito challenge to celebrate the month of May and, more importantly, the festival of Cinco de Mayo.
El Monstruoso
The OutInCanberra team isn’t shy of a challenge, and that’s why, on Monday, three members of the team went down to Mad Mex in Canberra Centre’s main Food Court to take the challenge.
Let’s call these amigos El Papa, Sleazy Gonzalez and El Loco. They were all primed and ready for the challenge. Hardly a trio to tilt at windmills, they had spent much of the month of April getting ready to go all the way and claim one of the authentic Mexican wrestling masks that are gifted to those who complete the epic meal.
Who would be first among their number to eat the behemoth burrito? Keep reading to find out…
The History
For the uninitiated, Cinco de Mayo translates literally to ‘5th May’. Much like the ANZAC legacy, the focus is on a wartime event – albeit one with a different result. On this occasion, it was the Mexican Army taking on the French (with twice as many troops as the Mexicans) in the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The Mexicans won, and have marked the occasion ever since.
So, what does your average Mexican get up to on Cinco de Mayo? Well, you can expect a lot of music, plenty of food and one or two tequilas, however this day is also about celebrating being Mexican with family and friends.
Back to the Challenge
What then of our three heroes, who themselves face almost unbeatable adds against the giant burrito? Well…
Firstly, try to imagine the size of the burrito in question. It’s a bout the size of a 1-litre milk carton and weighs even more. For today’s challenge they weighed in at almost 1.2 kilograms and instilled fear into the eyes of the eaters.
Strategies were mixed. Would it be better to drink water? Won’t that make the rice expand? Is it better to go hard early, or establish a nice and easy pace? Regardless, there was victory for all the amigos on Cinco de Mayo, with three empty burrito wrappers eventually being left on the table.
And the results were as follows:
Sleazy Gonzales – 28 minutes 30 seconds
El Papa – 20 minutes 23 seconds
El Loco – an extraordinary 11 minutes.
Clearly El Loco has his name for a reason, and we challenge anyone to beat that time.
Now it’s your turn
The Mad Mex burrito challenge is available during the whole month of May. Head into Mad Mex at Westfield Belconnen or downstairs in the Canberra Centre, for your chance to defeat the Monstruoso. Just take our advice and perhaps not plan too much for your afternoon.
Now, it’s time for a siesta.
