White Castle—and only White Castle—for three months

The ongoing reports on Pizzaboy's attempt to eat only sausage pizza for a month reminded me of another more grueling monofeeding challenge I'd read about some years ago.

Selling 'em by the Sack: White Castle and the Creation of American Food describes the groundbreaking role that White Castle played introducing hamburgers to a wary American public. In the early 20th century hamburgers, and ground meat in general, were regarded with justifiable suspicion. White Castle's founder, Billy Ingram, resorted to clever stunts and advertising campaigns to convince people of the wholesomeness of his product.

One of his most memorable schemes involved feeding a volunteer nothing but sliders for a quarter of a year.

As quoted in Selling 'em by the Sack, Ingram wrote:We arranged for a medical student to live for thirteen weeks on nothing but White Castle hamburgers and water. The student maintained good health throughout the three month period, and was eating twenty to twenty-four hamburgers a day during the last few weeks.

I was surprised to see reference to this on White Castle's website.

The White Castle Timeline wrote:1930 — The scientific study known as Craveology begins. White Castle hires a renowned food scientist from a Big Ten university to run tests to determine the nutritional value of White Castle Slyders®. Studies include having a medical student live on nothing but White Castle burgers and water for 13 weeks. Studies show conclusively that the student maintained good health.

Last year the University of Minnesota Medical School, where the study was conducted, published Well Done, an interesting account of the White Castle project.

In Well Done the Minnesota Medical Foundation wrote:A willing subject presented himself: Bernard Flesche, a U of M medical student working his way through school. Flesche kept a diary during the ordeal. "He started out very enthusiastic about eating 10 burgers at a sitting," notes his daughter, Deirdre Flesche, "but a couple of weeks into it, he was losing his enthusiasm."

. . .

Flesche went on to practice medicine in Lake City, Minnesota. He died from heart problems at the age of 54. One immediate and chronic effect of his participation in the study: "He never willingly ate hamburgers again," says his daughter.

Wow. I like a slider now and again, but that sounds considerably more difficult than sausage pizza for a week. Amazing the kid didn't contract scurvy...

It would be more difficult now than it would have been a few years ago, but I think I could manage 1 month of nothing but sausage pizza given a strong enough financial incentive. White Castle, on the other hand? I don't think I'd even last a week. No chance whatsoever at a month. And 3 months? There are no words.

I couldn't even get past half of my second slider, and I will never, ever return!

Mhays wrote:Wow. I like a slider now and again, but that sounds considerably more difficult than sausage pizza for a week. Amazing the kid didn't contract scurvy...

Yeah, the benefit of the sausage pizza challenge is that Ronnie is letting him add whatever veggies he wants. I haven't been in a White Castle in a while, but I don't think they'll add arugula to your slider. Three months on that stuff would probably put you at risk of a severe vitamin deficiency.

Best,
M

Mhays wrote:Wow. I like a slider now and again, but that sounds considerably more difficult than sausage pizza for a week. Amazing the kid didn't contract scurvy...

Presumably the onions on the burgers contributed enough C to ward off scurvy. I'm not a doctor or anything, but I believe it doesn't take much C at all to avoid it.

If you eat White Castle and only White Castle for three months do you taste it for the next three months the same way you taste it for 24 hours after you eat it once?

YourPalWill wrote:If you eat White Castle and only White Castle for three months do you taste it for the next three months the same way you taste it for 24 hours after you eat it once?

You could probably get the aroma of sliders to last in a car for that long, if you ordered enough. Really wish they'd bring back the french onion sliders!

If I did that for three months, you definitely would not want to be in close quarters with me.

Disappointed with my visit to Huaraches Doña Chio last month I walked around the corner and down the block to the White Castle at the corner of Petersen and Clark St - and found real enjoyment:

White Castle Cheeseburgers, and Onion Rings

Bill wrote:Disappointed with my visit to Huaraches Doña Chio last month I walked around the corner and down the block to the White Castle at the corner of Petersen and Clark St - and found real enjoyment:

White Castle Cheeseburgers, and Onion Rings

Gagging.

Who knew there was so much you could do with W.C. beyond that stuffing?

http://www.whitecastle.com/food/recipes

Bill wrote:Disappointed with my visit to Huaraches Doña Chio last month I walked around the corner and down the block to the White Castle at the corner of Petersen and Clark St - and found real enjoyment:

White Castle Cheeseburgers, and Onion Rings

Ah, that's my White Castle! Though I will never eat there again. Which is probably for the best.

3 straight months of only WHite Castle....? now that is more impressive/crazy than 30 days of pizza imho.

I cant eat White Castle more than 4 or 5 times a year, but when I do it is good & ends the craving for a couple months...