7 diners in China eat non-stop for more than 4 hours
A group of seven diners in China has caused a stir online after one of them posted online a video of their non-stop eating at a buffet for more than four hours.
In total, they consumed more than 300 crabs, 80 cups of dessert, 50 boxes of durian flesh, and countless prawns and salmon pieces – all in one sitting.
The seven comprised six men and one woman, all of whom are in their 20s, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.
Mainland news site Bailu Video reported that the group had gone to a buffet restaurant in Qingdao, in China’s eastern Shandong province, on May 3.
They were said to be there from 5pm local time until the restaurant closed at 9.30pm.
One of the group members posted a video of the party consuming some of the dishes. Hundreds of crab shells and empty cups used to serve mango sago dessert were seen strewn on tables close by.
Another person from the group, a man surnamed Zhang, said he and his friends have big appetites.
He also claimed that it was normal for people his age to eat such quantities of food, according to Bailu Video. He added that he and his friends stopped eating only when they could not consume anymore.
Mr Zhang said each person paid 160 yuan (S$30) for their meals.
According to an employee at the restaurant, the eatery allows each customer to eat for only up to two hours.
But because it was a busy night, they did not check the time or ask Mr Zhang and his friends to leave when they reached their time limit.
The video and subsequent reports of the incident shocked mainland Internet users.
Some wondered if eating that much food had upset the stomachs of anyone in the group, while others criticised them for “showing off the crab shells and other waste”, saying the group lacked “a moral bottom line”.
In China, it is not uncommon for customers at buffet restaurants to eat as much as they can to get their money’s worth.
However this leads to wastage as people pile up their plates without finishing everything.
Two years ago, the Chinese government passed a law preventing food waste to curb excessive food consumption, as the country’s food supply was in a “tight balance” due supply chain issues and high demand.
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