HE HAS taken part in all kinds of difficult competitions but one of the most important challenges for Montreal-born TV host Bob Blumer was when he had to correctly identify an herb.

When he first met his Toronto-based girlfriend, she had a little test for him.

'Her first kiss was with an herb in her mouth and if I didn't guess the herb correctly, that would have been the only kiss I ever got from her,' recounts the 46-year-old over the line from Vancouver.

For the record, it was thyme and they have been together for 3 1/2 years.

While of great personal significance, the challenge would not have made it to his new show Glutton For Punishment, which begins airing on Discovery Travel & Living on Monday.

On each episode, he has five days to learn a particular skill that revolves around food.

At the end of the week, he goes head to head against seasoned professionals.

Read the full story in Friday's edition of The Straits Times' Life!