Saltine cracker challenge: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 10:55, 27 January 2022

Revision as of 19:25, 5 March 2023

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The '''saltine cracker challenge''' or '''saltine challenge''' is a [[food challenge]] or competition in which a person has 60 seconds in which to eat six [[saltine cracker|saltine soda crackers]] without [[drinking]] anything.

Although the challenge may sound trivial, it is difficult because the crackers quickly exhaust the [[saliva]] in the mouth. Even though six saltines can fit in one's mouth at the same time, and a minute is plenty of time to chew, the resulting mass of crumbs is still difficult to swallow with a dry mouth.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Family Book: Amazing Things To Do Together |first1=Philippa |last1=Wingate |first2=David |last2=Woodroffe |page=[https://archive.org/details/familybookamazin00wing_0/page/160 160] |year=2008 |___location=New York |publisher=[[Scholastic Corporation|Scholastic]] |isbn=978-0-545-05757-48 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/familybookamazin00wing_0/page/160 }}</ref><ref name="Joplin">{{cite news |title=‘Dr'Dr. Food Science’Science' mixes bananas and Sprite, conducts other questionable food experiments |work=[[The Joplin Globe]] |first=Dustin |last=Shipman |date=2008-04-29 |url=http://www.joplinglobe.com/food/local_story_120162143.html/resources_printstory |access-date=2009-10-22 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121216091812/http://www.joplinglobe.com/food/local_story_120162143.html/resources_printstory |archive-date=2012-12-16 }}</ref>

==The individual challenge==

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[[File:19bcc7915f9a218cf6d889c212569271f9fe65d0-14.jpg|thumb|An office worker preparing before failing the challenge]]The challenge is generally given as eating six saltines in a single minute, although the target is sometimes set at five or seven.<ref>{{cite news |title= Class A vet still clings to baseball dreams |first=Kevin |last=Acee |date=1999-07-25 |work=[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]] |page=C.1 |id=Factiva SDU0000020070617dv7p00dca |quote=The attraction is third baseman Kevin Eberwein, who has taken the challenge of trying to eat six saltine crackers in 60 seconds without the aid of water. }}</ref><ref name="Lantern">{{cite news |work=[[The Lantern]] |title=Drowning the sorrow |date=2003-11-24 |first=Erik |last=Bussa |url=http://www.thelantern.com/2.1346/drowning-the-sorrow-1.89742 |access-date=2009-10-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927015144/http://www.thelantern.com/2.1346/drowning-the-sorrow-1.89742 |archive-date=2011-09-27 }}</ref> Most people are able to eat at least two saltines without water, although patients affected by [[Sjögren's syndrome]] lack the saliva necessary for even this many. Doctors may use this test, the "cracker test" or "cracker sign", to help diagnose the disorder.<ref>{{cite book |title=The hypochondriac's guide to life and death |first=Gene |last=Weingarten |author-link=Gene Weingarten |page=71 |year=2001 |isbn=0-684-85648-4 |publisher=[[Fireside Books]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Cecil textbook of medicine |volume=2 |year=1996 |edition=20th |author=Russell La Fayette Cecil, J. Claude Bennett, [[Fred Plum]] |page=1488}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Kelley's textbook of rheumatology |volume=2 |year=2005 |edition=7th |author1=Edward D. Harris |author2=Shaun Ruddy |author3=William N. Kelley |page=1109}}</ref>

A 1996 [[Associated Press|AP]] story used the challenge to illustrate the competitive nature and persistence of the [[Tennessee Volunteers football|Tennessee Volunteers']] quarterback at the time, [[Peyton Manning]]. Having been bet that he could not eat six saltines, Manning attempted them one by one and failed; trying again, he stacked them on top of each other and succeeded. His roommate concluded, "Even something that was a joke, he was out to prove he can do it. He can eat six saltine crackers, and he did. He works out techniques he can do on everything."<ref>{{cite news |title=Manning Seeks a Way to Succeed |agency=[[Associated Press]] |newspaper=[[The Oregonian]] |date=1996-08-11 |edition=First |page=C06 |first=Teresa M. |last=Walker |id=Factiva por0000020011015ds8b014cg |quote=Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning eats the saltine crackers one at a time, trying to scarf down six in 60 seconds.}}</ref> Before the 2001–2002 season, [[Pennsylvania State University|Penn State]] [[Penn State Nittany Lions|Lady Lions]] basketball coach [[Rene Portland]]'s cracker-eating ability helped her land star players [[Tanisha Wright]] and [[Jessica Calamusso]]. During a recruiting trip, the high schoolers' [[Amateur Athletic Union]] coach mentioned the cracker challenge; Wright failed but Portland succeeded. Portland did not reveal her technique, but she did comment on the competitive drive: "Obviously, there's a competitor in an old coach to say that 'I can do this.' If I can do childbirth three times, six crackers can't be that hard."<ref name="Cracker Portland">{{cite news|last=Zeise|first=Paul |title=Women’sWomen's Basketball Notebook: Portland passes cracker test and gets two quality recruits |date=January 28, 2002|url=http://old.post-gazette.com/sports/collegeother/20020128bkwnot0128p4.asp|newspaper=Post-Gazette|access-date=9 Mar 2013}}</ref> Other athletes connected with the challenge include baseball coach [[Brad Fischer]]<ref>{{cite news |title=A'S CLUBHOUSE / No Bellyaching From Coach Whose Binges Bring Dollars |first=Susan |last=Slusser |author-link=Susan Slusser|work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=2000-07-18 |page=D.6 |id=ProQuest 56519161}}</ref> and [[Derek Jeter]]; a photographer challenged by Jeter observed, "Being competitive has become his way to relax."<ref>{{cite journal |magazinejournal=[[Men's Health (magazine)|Men's Health]] |date=April 2008 |page=24 |first=Patrik |last=Giardino |title=Contributors |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2scDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24 |access-date=2009-10-23}}</ref>

The challenge has been televised on [[Breakfast television|morning]] news [[talk show]]s. In a 2001 ''[[The Early Show]]'' episode, [[Tom Bergeron]] took a bet that he could not eat four saltines in a minute, and after attempting them all at once, he lost $40. [[Jane Clayson Johnson|Jane Clayson]] asked the staff member who had started the bet how she knew the challenge, to which she replied, "College."<ref>{{Cite episode |title=Filler: Co-op time |series=CBS News: The Early Show |series-link=The Early Show |airdate=2001-11-19 |id=Factiva CBST000020070818dxcj00do2}} See also the buildup: {{Cite episode |title=Sign-off: The Early Show |series=CBS News: The Early Show |series-link=The Early Show |airdate=2001-11-18 |id=Factiva CBST000020070818dxci00dnb}} See also the followup: {{Cite episode |title=Leads: The Early Show, 8:30 AM |series=CBS News: The Early Show |series-link=The Early Show |airdate=2001-11-19 |id=Factiva CBST000020070818dxcj00do3}}</ref> Indeed, several college newspapers have noted the phenomenon on campus.<ref name="Lantern" /><ref>{{cite news |title=Summer slumbers |date=2005-07-13 |work=[[Technician (newspaper)|Technician]] |first=Kenneth |last=Ball |id=Factiva UWIR000020050714e17d0004g}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Facebook makes for some good friends |date=2005-09-20 |work=[[Columbia Daily Spectator]] |first=Fernanda |last=Diaz |id=Factiva UWIR000020050921e19k000as}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Mirthful breaks from mind-numbing studying |work=[[Student Life (newspaper)|Student Life]] |date=2006-12-22 |first=Yarden |last=Maoz |id=Factiva UWIR000020061222e2cm0002l |url=http://www.studlife.com/archives/Scene/2006/12/08/Mirthfulbreaksfrommindnumbingstudying/ |access-date=2009-10-22}}</ref>

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==Competitive races==

[[File:SaltineCrackerEatingContest ThreeForTracy.jpg|thumb|Office workers competing against the clock |alt=A man and a woman with their mouths full of crackers, seated at a table with piles of crackers]]

Older versions of the challenge include events where one competes to be the first person to eat some number of crackers and then audibly [[whistling|whistle]] a tune. Such competitions are at least a century old.<ref>{{cite journal |magazinejournal=The Dodge ideaIdea |volume=24 |issue=4 |title=Second Annual Dodge Field Day |page=59 |date=October 1908 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZOzNAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA59 |access-date=2009-10-22}}</ref>

A 1970s episode of the [[education]]al [[television show]] ''[[ZOOM (1972 TV series)|ZOOM]]'', which encouraged children to try creative puzzles and games using minimal supplies, featured such a race. Contestants in this version of the race ate three saltines and then whistled.<ref>{{cite news |title=Zoom to PBS aimed at giving kids ideas |first=Jeanne |last=Spreier |date=1998-01-05 |work=[[The Dallas Morning News]] |edition=Home Final |page=5C |id=Factiva dal0000020010916du15000u8}}</ref>