SINGAPORE: Did you ever pop a piece of candy or chocolate into your mouth in class when your teacher was not looking? Or maybe even chomp on a chicken nugget smuggled from the canteen if you’re feeling particularly peckish (and adventurous)?
If you got away with it, you may fancy your chances at the type of contest that was held at a shopping mall in Ningbo, China, on May 17.
There, more than 2,000 people, including elementary school children and retirees, gathered to take part in the city’s first-ever ‘Steal A Bite of Paofan’ contest.
The objective? To find the sneakiest classroom eater.
Held in a simulated classroom set up in the mall atrium, participants were armed with a bowl of Ningbo-style Paofan – rice soaked in soup.
They were given one mission: finish eating their allocated bowl before the class bell rang without getting caught by teachers conducting mock lessons.
If they are caught stealing a bite, contestants must stand for 30 seconds as punishment, during which they were not allowed to eat. Three strikes meant elimination.
Each heat lasted 10 minutes and ran from 12pm to 9pm. The fastest eater from every round advanced to the finals, where they compete again to determine the ultimate winner.
The championship was ultimately won by a man in his 30s, reported Chinese news outlets, which did not name him. He took home a one-gram grain of golden rice worth about 1,400 yuan (US$205).
In a post on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, the man revealed that he had not intended to participate and had originally visited the mall simply to buy diapers for his baby.
According to Chinese media outlet Jiupai News, organisers said the event was inspired by people’s nostalgic memories of secretly eating snacks during lessons while pretending to pay attention in class.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of both chaos and comedy.
Some contestants hid bites behind textbooks. Others ducked under desks to inhale soup.
One child was seen positioning himself beside the teacher as a bodyguard, while shovelling food into his mouth at lightning speed.
The competition quickly went viral on social media platforms such as Douyin and Xiaohongshu.
Netizens were particularly amused by the sight of a Caucasian participant – whom they dubbed an “international student” – sparking debate over whether foreigners also sneak bites during class.
Many contestants said they had graduated more than a decade ago, but joined the competition to relive the emotional thrill of eating illegally in class.
Organisers added that elementary school students performed exceptionally well and were “comparable to professional players”, noting that not a single child was caught.
The event was free to enter and all expenses were covered by the mall.
Following the contest, many participants expressed eagerness for a second edition in the future.
Some jokingly suggested spin-off contests inspired by other school-day memories, including passing notes in class and slacking off during morning runs. - The Straits Times/ANN
