World’s largest potato denied title because it’s not a potato

For nearly a decade, the Nottinghamshire vegetable producer has held the Guinness World Record for the World’s Largest Potato. And it appears like his name will be in the record books for a bit longer. Colin and Donna Craig-Brown of New Zealand were requested to send a slice of their potentially title-worthy potato to experts at Science and Advice for Scottish Agriculture for DNA testing and genetic analysis earlier this year. Last summer, they hauled a gigantic 17.2-pound potato out of their garden. However Guinness wanted to do more research before confirming Dug the Potato yep, the Craig-Browns called it as the World’s Largest.

“I had a big hoe in my hand, and it went, ‘clonk,’” said Colin Craig-Brown, speaking by phone on Thursday from his farm near Hamilton, where a cow could be heard in the background. “I said to my wife, ‘What the hell’s that?’”

He further said: “I got a great big four-pronged garden fork and laid into it, like an overexcited Viking warrior. I thrust my foot deep into the earth, dragged this thing out, kicking and screaming. It was the size of a rubbish bin lid.”

It is a form of scar tissue on a wound, similar to the lumps

Dug, it turns out, isn’t even a potato. According to the Associated Press, Guinness recently sent the couple a sad email.  “Sadly the specimen is not a potato and is in fact that tuber of a type of gourd,” they wrote. “For this reason, we do unfortunately have to disqualify the application.”  Colin Craig-Brown says there’s nothing they can do, other than accept the results. “What can you say?” he told the AP. “We can’t say we don’t believe you, because we gave them the DNA stuff.”

“Tuber of a type of gourd” may be annoyingly ambiguous phrasing for those without green thumbs. A tuber is a swelling underground stem of any type, especially a potato. Pumpkins, marrows, and cucumbers are all gourds, which are unrelated plants. The development was described by Chris Claridge, horticulture and the chief executive of the industry organization Potatoes New Zealand; which assisted in the DNA testing, as a form of scar tissue on a wound, similar to the lumps frequently seen on trees when a branch is removed.

In a statement, Adam Millward, managing editor of Guinness World Records, said, “This has been a fascinating journey of discovery, and we’re glad we’ve been able to get to the root — well, technically, tuber — of the matter.” He also wished the Craig-Browns the best in their future horticultural endeavors. 

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