By Rebecca Feldhaus
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wkms/local-wkms-898027.mp3
Paris, TN – First, before we get into the hush puppy challenge. Paris Tennessee is home to the "Worlds Biggest Fish Fry . Really?
"We hand batter our fish, every piece of fish is cooked into a pot, where most other things are done by a conveyer belt. Ours is, basically everything is done by hand. So there's a world's largest, but that's in Texas. We're the world's biggest."
Loria Plunk has been a part of the Fish Fry for 25 years. 25 years might seem like a long time, but many of the adults in attendance have been coming to the fish fry for three or four decades. The event draws locals and out-of-towners alike and Plunk says they've even had visitors from Germany.
This year's fish tent was filled with rows upon rows of plastic and wooden picnic tables occupied by chatty fish-eating fans. One lone long table sat at the front of the metal building, waiting empty for the competitors. With five dollars and a registration sheet, anyone could enter.
At the far left side of the table, in denim overalls and a black T-shirt, Ryan Buie sat stoically before the contest began. Buie was intimidating with a sturdy build and no-nonsense quiet but confident attitude. His cheering section included his wife and young daughter Chloe who was tired by the end of the day.
Along with officials, the young hostess princess pageant winners were poised for judging. One contestant, Tuffy Craig donned a red T-shirt supportive his wife's run for office along with a cap over his short blond hair. Craig says he isn't new to this kind of competition.
"I won the Girl Scout cookie eating contest about two months back, so I thought I'd try again."
7 other Contestants sat with their hands behind their backs, ready for the count down.
Hush puppy crumbs were strewn all over the table next to sweating water bottles. Some game plans included taking time to moisten the hush puppy with large gulps of water, and some just tried to chew as many as they could fit in their mouths without wasting time on hydration.
Soon, time ran short.
As the young judges looked down the table, there were two plates with just three hush puppies left. It was a stand off.
A tie-breaker was in order. Ryan Buie and Tuffy Craig sat side by side with a just three hush puppies standing between them and the title of champion.
The pair was chewing the last hush puppy simultaneously, but after all was said and done, it was Ryan Buie who took home first prize and a small medallion to prove. However, he didn't have time to revel in his accomplishment.
"I gotta go to work here in a few minutes. So I'm fittin' to hit the parking lot up, drink some pepto-bismol and probably puke, I'm just going to be honest."
Tuffy Craig took home 2nd prize, Barry Webb got 3rd, Erik Wenrick claimed 4th and Matthew McCrory got an honorable mention.
All contestants got a price break. 20 hush puppies for five dollars. That is, of course, only if you can eat them in three minutes.