Man Wins Oyster-Eating Competition by Eating Insane Amount of Oysters

Pass the shallot vinaigrette and Tabasco sauce.

By Ethan L. Johns
June 05, 2018

Image: Shutterstock

Raw oysters go down easy. A quick backwards whip of the head and flick of the wrist sends those still-living bivalves sliding down the back of your throat.

If that description sounds moderately disturbing, you ain’t heard nothing yet. That’s because on Sunday in New Orleans, a man from Virginia went through these motions nearly 500 times, slurping and hardly chewing as he worked his way to victory at the World Oyster Eating Championship, reported the Times-Picayune.

Darron Breeden, who had never before eaten an oyster in his life, absolutely destroyed his competition as he consumed 480 oysters in eight minutes flat. That’s one oyster per second. The second place winner polished off 324 oysters, while the third place winner was not far behind, finishing 312 of them.

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The contestants were, naturally, eating local Louisiana oysters. But for reference, if Breeden were to eat 480 Bluepoint oysters at New York City’s iconic Grand Central Oyster Bar during happy hour, he would be stuck with a bill of $648.

The World Oyster Eating Championship takes place annually at the New Orleans Oyster Festival, which also features live music, crafts and food from local seafood joints. Admission is free, though donations are accepted and allocated for coastal restoration.


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About Ethan L. Johns

Ethan is the Food News Writer at Genius Kitchen. An expert on the Parisian bistrot, he likes bitters and salted butters, and is no fan of dessert unless it's made with fruit. His hobbies include reading up on the history of borscht and attempting to roll perfect couscous by hand. Twits & Instagram @EthanLJohns