July 4th In Key West Includes Wacky, Messy Key Lime Pie Eating Contest
KEY WEST (CBSMiami/FKNB) - New Yorkers might stage a hotdog–eating contest each July 4, but competitive eaters in Key West can gobble far sweeter fare during the wacky and messy Mile-High Key Lime Pie Eatin' Contest.
Some two dozen competitors are to step into the "limelight" at noon on Independence Day at the Southernmost Beach Café overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
After donning safety goggles, each must attempt to devour an entire 9-inch pie, topped with mounds of whipped cream, in the fastest time -- without using their hands.
Past entrants have tried everything from immersing their faces in whipped cream to tipping over the pie pan and licking up its contents.
Believed to have originated in Key West in the late 1800s, Key lime pie is made primarily of condensed milk, egg yolks and the juice of tiny yellow Key limes — typically with a graham cracker crust and whipped cream or meringue topping. It was designated Florida's official pie in 2006 by the state legislature.
The consumption competition is a highlight of Key West's annual Key Lime Festival that begins July 4. Other events include a Key lime cocktail tasting stroll and the offbeat Key Lime Pie Drop from the top of the local lighthouse.
The festival concludes Sunday, July 7, with a sampling stroll that features five variations on the pie that has become the Florida Keys' signature dessert.
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