SAVE THE DATE
June 15, 2014, Father’s Day
2 p.m.–3 p.m.

CHICHEN ITZÁ RESTAURANT TO HOST
4th ANNUAL CHILE HABANERO EATING CONTEST

WHAT:
ChichénItzá Restaurant is set to host itsfourth annual “Chichen Itza’s Habanero Eating Contest” during Mercado La Paloma’s Father’s Day celebration.Contestants will be provided a bowl of whole chiles habaneros and have 20 minutes to eat as many chiles as possible for first- second- and third-place awards. This is the only eating contest of this kind held in Los Angeles.
 
WHERE:
Chichén Itzá Restaurant (in Mercado La Paloma)
3655 S. Grand Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90007
213-741-1075
 
WHEN:
Sunday, June 15, 2014 (Father’s Day)
2 p.m.
 
WHO:
ChichénItzá Restaurant specializes in the cuisine of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula where folks love their ultra-hot chiles habaneros. Chef/owner Chef Cetina heads up a successful restaurant and catering businessand a line of Yucatecan culinary products under the ChichénItzá Restaurant label that includes two chile habanero salsas. Rave reviews have appeared in such publications asHispanic, GQ,LosAngeles Times, L. A. Weekly and La Opinión.
 
BACKGROUND:
Chile habanero (Capsicum chinense) originated in the Amazons and worked its way through various parts of South America, eventually working its way upto the Caribbean.Many believe it was introduced into Mexico through interactions between pre-Hispanic indigenous peoples. Regardless, it is much loved in the Yucatán where it plays an important role in its culinary traditions. It is a very hot chile, rated 150,000–325,000 on the Scoville scale. Compare this with the jalapeño pepper that rates a mere 2,500–8,000 on the same scale. It got its Latin name after it was so widely disseminated around the world that some considered China as its place of origin.