The 24th annual Garlic Festival held later this month at Saleem’s West in Winchester offers the spectacle of a roasted garlic-eating contest that must be seen – and smelled – to be believed. “The record right now is 15 heads in 10 minutes,” Saleem’s co-owner Simon Hanna said of the number to beat at this year’s festival, “and my dad and I will be inspecting every single clove to make sure it is eaten.”
So just how does one approach such a gustatory challenge? “Take a lot of mints, and be prepared to stink like garlic,” Hanna mused.
In addition to watching a bevy of competitors eat enough garlic to kill romance and friendship alike, guests at the Sept. 23 – 26 affair can enjoy belly dancing and a specially priced kebob combo plate that comes with all-you-can-eat roasted garlic. On the final night of the Festival, a reservation-only affair will be held that pits the garlic-eating champions from the three previous nights against one another for a grand prize of cash and garlicky glory.
This article appears in Sep 1-30, 2010.