Toothless man breaks shish kebab eating record

ANTALYA

Osman Aksöl (R) and Ceren Yılmaz

A man in the southern Turkish city of Antalya has broken a local restaurant’s record by eating 301 shish kebabs, even though he has no teeth.

Osman Aksöl, a 44-year-old retired wrestler who does not even have a single tooth in his mouth, ate 301 shish kebabs in 44 minutes at a meat restaurant that had organized an eating contest, Demirören News Agency reported on Aug. 7.

“I used to eat half a lamb when I was young. I could eat it all if I had teeth,” he told journalists after beating his rivals.

As a prize, Aksöl won a smart phone and the right to eat for free at the restaurant for four months.

The same restaurant had organized the contest for female competitors last month.

It was won by Ceren Yılmaz, a 21-year-old university student, who ate 255 shish kebabs in 23 minutes.

“I had vowed to compete again if my record was broken. I will do it,” said Yılmaz, after witnessing how her record was broken by the toothless ex-wrestler.

The owner of the restaurant in the Kepez district, on the other hand, said he would organize a final between the two winners.

“The prize will be a new car,” restaurateur İlyas Demir said.

Shish kebabs are made of meat or minced meat put on skewers and are served with salad and bread.

Restaurant owner İlyas Demir (C) with the record breakers...