The Untold Truth Of Adam Richman

Over the course of several seasons of Man v. Food, Adam Richman put his body through hell trying to muscle through some insane food challenges. Whether it was stuffing himself silly with four pounds of pancakes or setting fire to his tongue with ghost peppers, the guy made some serious physical sacrifices for the sake of television entertainment. 

But, the show never really let viewers into the life of the man behind those daunting feats. There's a heck of a lot more to the former host than simply a guy who can handle an immense caloric intake and a level of spice potent enough to suppress an entire army.

Prepare to take a deep dive into the life of a gluttonous gladiator who, week after week, put it all on the line in the name of good eats. This isn't just the untold truth of an average man. No, this is the untold truth of Adam Richman.

Social media can have disastrous results when used inappropriately. And, if you have a solid following like Adam Richman does, all it takes is one slip-up for the online community to tear down your scaffolding real quick. Well, the Twitterverse and Instagram world did just that to Richman.

It all started with a photo Richman posted on Instagram showing off his weight loss. After indulging in thousands of calories throughout Man v. Food, Richman grew depressed at how much his waistline increased. So, he embarked on a 10-month mission and successfully shed a whopping 70 pounds. 

Sounds totally innocent and encouraging, right? Well, not when you add the hashtag "thinspiration" to it. For those who don't know, the term is used to advocate anorexia and bulimia, and it offended quite of bit of his followers. Then things got real sloppy.

He went on to respond to several comments with some alarming profanity-laden messages. To one, he replied, "Oh eat a bag of sh**... Only f***up it seems was your dad's choice not to use a condom." Yikes. He also told a poster no one would miss them if they grabbed "a razor blade and drew a bath." 

Needless to say, his show after Man v. Food, which was called Man Finds Food, was put on hold during the social media crucifixion he endured due to his responses. Hopefully he learned his lesson. 

Here in the States we're inundated with football, baseball, and basketball, and our soccer league — the MLS — takes a back seat to those three. However, take a trip across the pond to Europe and you quickly realize their version of football is an all-out religion. And Adam Richman is totally on board with the fandom, specifically the Tottenham Hotspurs.

His passion started years ago when a friend sent him a video called 100 Greatest Goals at the Lane (Whiteheart Lane is the name of the team's stadium), and Richman was instantly hooked. Man Finds Food was actually split between the United States and England, which allowed Richman to attend as many games as possible. He was even granted a special private tour of the stadium where things got emotional. 

Richman even sent the coach a care package full of meats and spices, and that landed him a new texting buddy. Ahh, it's good to be the host of a television show.

For picky eaters, there are plenty of food options that seem downright disgusting. Adam Richman, however, has five specific foods he knows sound funky but are actually awesome. If you have the guts to try them.

First up: tongue. If you can get past the fact that it's... well, a tongue, you realize it's a delicate and lean silky muscle. Korean restaurants often have it on the menu, where it's sliced paper thin and served with a delicious sauce like gochujang. 

Caviar is next on the list. Yes, they're fish eggs, but those tiny spheres of flavor pop open in your mouth to reveal an exciting oceanic flavor. He reccomends you stick to the smaller eggs if you're not a fan of fishy tastes.

Richman also implores people to try sweetbreads. No, they're not sweetened cakes, although the name totally implies it. In reality, it's pancreas, one of the body's offal meats. The texture is subtle, creamy, and rich. Especially if they're lightly fried with seasoned crunch on the outside. 

Another creamy and rich dish that's won over Richman's heart is pate. Describing pate as a "meat mousse" may not entice people, but that's exactly what it is. Richman says spreading it on toasted bread or pairing it with a sweet marmalade will turn pate-doubters into pate-lovers. 

Finally, Richman rounds out his list with... sardines! The name conjures up images of slimy filets with an obnoxiously strong smell, but he says if you go to a professional fish-monger (and avoid the canned stuff), they'll present you with flavor-packed sardines that'll keep you craving more. 

Adam Richman went through plenty of suffering during his stint as Man v. Food's host. You just had to tune in for one episode to see the grimace on his face after every hard-fought battle. But, of all the challenges that left him feeling like utter crapola, one stands out as the most painful... by far.

It was the "Fire in Your Hole Wing Challenge" at a place called Munchies 420 Cafe in Sarasota, Florida. The challenge was 12 wings completely doused in a sauce containing jet black ghost chili extract, and it was one of the few food challenges Richman never completed for Man v. Food. 

However, there was a legitimately unfair reason behind the "L" he was forced to put up, and Richman doesn't hesitate to tell the story. The cafe's head chef was mic'd up prior to starting, and before the wings hit Richman's table, the kitchen team was heard whispering about adding the entire bottle of extract in order to "blow him out." 

Now, two things are wrong with this. First, it's simply unfair. Rules are rules, and if they don't state the whole bottle's going into the sauce, it shouldn't. Second — and most important — is what they did was completely reckless. The end result was Richman cowering in the restroom with a swollen tongue and nasal passages, and crippling stomach pains. It's actually a miracle he managed to walk out in one piece. 

Many of us know what it's like to completely overindulge in one of our favorite foods, and the outcome is always horrendous. Suddenly, this amazing culinary delight we've loved for years is so hideous we can't bear to think about the flavor anymore (oh the horror!). During one challenge, Adam Richman ruined one of his favorite foods forever: oysters. 

At the Acme Oyster House in New Orleans, Richman dared to join the 15 Dozen Club: the pantheon of epic eaters who could suck down 15 dozen oysters! Yea, you read that correctly. Richman beasted his way through all 15 like a boss, but those slippery mollusks were never the same for him again. He couldn't even touch oysters for three years until the pilot episode of Man v. Food Nation.

We salute you for your shelled sacrifice, Adam Richman. 

Adam Richman's eaten a lot of food. A lot. More than most people in the world will ever experience. As amazing and unique as many of those culinary experiences were, when you sample such a vast array of flavors, you're bound to come across some stuff that churns the stomach. So, what was Richman's least favorite food ever? A fermented bean dish from Japan, and it sounds pretty atrocious.

"Natto" is its name, and when Richman describes it on an episode of Sway in the Morning, it sounds pretty repulsive. He says it "looks like someone else ate it before you, spit it out, and then gave it to you to eat." It smells like "earth, snot, and is horrible." Well, at least he sugarcoated his opinion.

Funny enough, the dish is actually considered a superfood in Japan and is supposed to be quite delicious if you can get over the bizarre consistency (and, apparently, smell). Hey, to each their own. Some might rant and rave about the stuff, but Richman's appetite is not on board.