“How Can Kota Lose?”: Food World Cup Sees SA Reach Finals in Viral Tournament

• American TikToker @pushpeksidhu has created a viral Food World Cup where dishes from different countries compete against each other
• South Africa made it to the finals against India after beating the West Indies in a face-off between bunny chow and trini curry chicken roti
• In the nail-biting final, India narrowly beat South Africa 4-3 after seven rounds of food battles, with South Africa losing the dessert round

An American TikTok creator has turned food tasting into a global competition, with South Africa reaching the final of his viral Food World Cup. The content creator @pushpeksidhu, who usually posts about hair and beard care, pitted foods from different countries against each other until only two remained: South Africa and India.

Watch the TikTok clip below.

The road to the finals

South Africa earned its place in the finals by beating several countries along the way, including the West Indies where a mutton curry bunny chow triumphed over a trini curry chicken roti. The creator visited different restaurants to try foods representing each country, tasting them back-to-back before deciding a winner.

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For the grand finale, @pushpeksidhu shared the results on the 16th of April and spent over $250 on 14 different dishes, setting up an epic seven-round battle between Indian and South African cuisine.

"It's time to find out who makes the best food in the world," he declared at the start of the video.

The first round saw South Africa's peri-peri chicken beat Indian tandoori chicken, giving South Africa an early lead. However, India struck back in round two when their chicken tikka roll defeated South African boerewors.

The intense competition continued with South Africa winning round three with a vetkoek that triumphed over India's vada pav.

The score levelled at 2-2 when India's dosa won against South Africa's kota in round four. India then took the lead in round five with their biryani beating the South African bunny chow, which the creator had previously described as one of the best dishes he's ever had.

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With his arteries "screaming in pain," the TikToker moved to the dessert rounds. South Africa evened the score at 3-3 when malva pudding beat jalebi in round six, setting up a dramatic final round.

The tournament came down to one last battle: Indian gulab jamun versus South African koeksisters. In the end, India was declared the overall winner with a 4-3 score.

The creator closed his video by thanking viewers for their support throughout his food journey, revealing he'd spent more than $10,000 on food across 100+ matches featuring dishes from 90+ countries. He encouraged everyone to try different cuisines, saying,

"It's truly eye-opening, trust me, it's so worth it."

He also joked that his cholesterol had increased by 270% since starting the competition, promising to eat healthier going forward.

What Mzansi thinks

South Africans had plenty to say about their country's performance in the Food World Cup:

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@Rethabile 5021 showed national pride:

"South Africa gang here."

@Triple G_M1 had a different view of the outcome:

"I really think South Africa won this one, though!"

@theonlygeorgeudontknow laughed at a translation error:

"That 'voetsek' translated as yummy kills me every time. 🤣😭"

@uyasindi2125$ encouraged the creator to visit:

"You should come to South Africa and taste the food for yourself. RSA food is to die for mannnnn💔💔"

@THABS couldn't believe the pronunciation:

"AINT NO WAY HE CALLED IT THE 'BWOWOOW ROLL'!"

@Ruby_Rhapsody 👑🥀 saw it as a win-win:

"I'm a South African Indian 😂 So either way, I win 🙂"

@JustCallMeLu questioned one result:

"How did the Kota lose?"

More food stories that have SA talking

• Briefly News recently reported on a white man in South Africa who couldn't hide his amazement after trying a woman's viral pap nuggets recipe.
• South Africans can't stop discussing a man's detailed R30,000 monthly budget that somehow includes only R1,500 for food.
• Football legend Siphiwe Tshabalala's first encounter with mopane worms has divided the internet.

Source: Briefly News