What should judges avoid consuming within a few hours before a judging event?

Judges should avoid consuming spicy or greasy food within a few hours before a judging event primarily because such foods can affect their palate and the ability to accurately assess the nuances of different beers. Spicy foods can lead to a heightened sensitivity to heat and spice, which may mask the flavors and aromas that judges need to detect in the beers they are evaluating. Similarly, greasy foods can leave a coating on the palate that dulls taste sensitivity, making it more difficult to identify subtle hop character or malt complexity.

Judges aim to have a neutral palate to ensure that their evaluations are fair and accurate, and the consumption of spicy or greasy foods would likely interfere with this goal. The other options, while they may also have varying levels of effect, do not pose the same level of risk to taste perception in the context of judging beer.