The world’s largest potato turned out to be ‘not a potato’, according to DNA test results
A New Zealand couple believe they have dug the world’s largest potato in the garden of their small farm.
Colin Craig-Brown, who first hit it with a hoe last August while gardening with his wife, Donna, said it definitely looked and tasted like a potato.
The pair named what they found Doug, after the spelling of the word Dug, in reference to how it was found. And the potato quickly became famous after the couple started posting photos on Facebook with unique poses such as wearing a hat or placing in the back of a toy trailer.
When is a potato not a potato? According to Guinness World Records, that’s when it’s the tuber of a gourd.
A local grocery store weighed Doug at 7.8 kg, the equivalent of a few bags of regular potatoes or a small dog. Previously, the Guinness Book of Records only recorded the largest potato in the world in 2011, from England, weighing less than 5 kg.
The couple submitted photos and documents to register it as the world’s largest potato with Guinness World Records. However, the Guinness Certification Commission ordered a “DNA test” due to its distinct appearance and size. They extracted Doug’s DNA and conducted validation at SASA, a scientific research institute under the Scottish government’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Economics, which stores more than 2,000 types of DNA data on potatoes.
At the end of last week, the couple received bad news in an email that was responded to by the organization.
“Dear Colin”, email written. “Sadly the specimen is not a potato and is in fact the tuber of a gourd. For this reason, we regret to disqualify your application.”
Doug, is now frozen, and has the ability to turn into vodka in the future.
Craig-Brown later said he was disappointed with the end result, but he added that: “I am really motivated to start growing potatoes. Together with the experts, I want to share the scientific knowledge and know-how that I have accumulated so far. I want to do my best to make the biggest potatoes in the world.”
For now, Craig-Brown is still very proud of Doug, which is still in their freezer at home.
“I say good day to her every time I open the cupboard to pull out some hot dogs. That guy is a great character.” Craig-Brown said. “Whenever my grandchildren come to visit, they want to see Doug. He will still be the biggest potato in the world to me.”
However, he said he will try to use it as an ingredient to make vodka, one day.
Refer to TheGuardian
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