Man suffers medical emergency after ‘world’s hottest curry’

A viral video has captured the alarming aftermath of an extreme spicy food challenge—after a young man nearly collapsed from just one bite of what’s been dubbed the ‘world’s hottest curry.’ 

The clip, viewed more than six million times on X, shows the man—identified only as Daniel—fleeing the restaurant moments after trying the dish. 

He is then found slumped on the pavement outside, shirtless and clearly overwhelmed by the effects of the curry.

The dish is served at The Bengal Village in East London, where staff attempted to reassure him. 

The restaurant’s owner, Mr Raj, is seen telling Daniel he will soon recover, and urging him to drink a mango lassi.

Mr Raj said in the video: ‘I promise you will be alright, you have ten minutes to recover. After having that mango lassie you will be fine.

‘It will cool your insides, your liver and throat. I am not a doctor but please listen to me and have the drink.’

The curry, which costs £22, is made with a complex mix of rare and potent spices. According to the owners, the ingredients alone cost £50.

Diners who manage to finish the entire dish within 15 minutes are rewarded with a free meal for their whole table. 

But a warning on the restaurant’s website reads: ‘We take no responsibility for any after effects.’ 

Spicy food can cause pain due to capsaicin, the active compound in chilli peppers.

When consumed, capsaicin binds to receptors in the mouth, esophagus, and stomach lining, triggering a burning sensation. This activation of pain receptors can prompt the body to release endorphins, providing temporary pain relief.

However, it may also lead to uncomfortable side effects such as abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, headaches and heavy sweating.

Florida-based emergency medic Dr Capin explained to the Cleveland Clinic that some people are more sensitive than others.

He said: ‘Some people are naturally more tolerant of spice because of genetics. They are just born with fewer receptors for capsaicin, which gives them a built-in tolerance for heat.’

The doctor added that excessive consumption of extremely spicy food can, in rare cases, be fatal.

‘The hottest peppers, like ghost peppers, can kill you. But it’s highly unlikely,’ says Dr Capin. 

‘You would have to eat a huge amount of them. For instance, if you weigh 150 pounds, you would have to eat 3 pounds of ghost peppers to cause a deadly reaction.’ 

The news comes after a similar incident at the same East London curry house just weeks ago. 

Viral clips showed diners at Bengal Village gasping for air and being handed water, mango lassi and even ice cream as they struggled through the notorious curry challenge.

Co-owner Mohamed Ahmed said at the time: ‘We give them cold, cold mango lassi beforehand. We give them mango lassi after. 

‘We know how to make it quicker for them to recover when they are in pain. 

‘We also give them ice cream and Indian yoghurt. Definitely [better than] water. I’ve seen people have it with fizzy drinks, beer, and it’s bad.

‘We don’t recommend [how to do it], we let everyone do what they want. But if one of my staff members had to do it, which I think is going to be my next video anyway, then I would give them cold milk to drink with it.’

The dish is made with 72 chillies—many of them unknown outside of Bangladesh. 

‘In terms of Scoville Value [the measure of a food’s heat], the hottest chilli in the world is, I think, Pepper X, and the second is the Carolina Reaper,’ he said.

‘But that’s what the world thinks. My family were born in Bangladesh and they know certain plants and chillies that the world hasn’t even discovered yet. They probably will soon…’

He added: ‘We’re making a loss on the curry, because the curry costs much more than £21.95 to make, because of all the different chilies. 

‘We have to cut it all and then use the chicken and the gravy, everything.’