Buzz
One summer, while clearing his garden in Waikato, New Zealand, Colin Craig-Brown stumbled upon a strange, lumpy mass.
He recounted, "I grabbed the fork, dug into it, and pulled it out of the earth, thinking ‘Holy snapping turtle teeth, what’s going on here?’” to New Zealand’s Newshub.
From its appearance and taste—Colin and his wife, Donna, tried a small raw piece—the couple assumed it was a potato, even though they hadn’t purposely planted any in their garden. And this wasn’t just any potato: The giant tuber weighed in at 17.4 pounds, surpassing the world’s current heaviest potato by over six pounds. So, the Craig-Browns submitted a sample and all necessary documentation to Guinness World Records and waited, hoping to take the crown from UK grower Peter Glazebrook.
During this time, they made sure 'Doug' (named after the process of digging him up) enjoyed all the comforts a root vegetable could ever wish for, including a hat, a prime spot in the Craig-Browns' freezer, and rides on a custom-built four-wheeled cart just for him.
“Since he doesn’t have arms or legs, I created a little trolley so I can take him out for some sunshine from time to time,” Colin shared.
Sadly, as UPI reports, Guinness World Records recently announced that Doug cannot be recognized as the world’s heaviest potato because, quite simply, he isn’t one. The DNA test revealed that he’s actually “the tuber of a type of gourd.”
The Craig-Browns had never grown gourds in their garden, either. But, as Colin told The New York Times, he once planted “hybridized cucumbers,” which he thought may have crossbred with a gourd plant. The cucumbers had been grown in the very spot where Doug was found, adding weight to this theory.
While Doug won't make it into the Guinness Book of World Records, he might find his way into a cocktail. Colin had considered turning Doug into vodka when he thought he was a potato, and he’s still planning to give it a try. He’s also not ready to abandon his hopes of claiming the record for the world’s heaviest potato—this time, though, he’ll make sure to plant one intentionally.
“I’m fully committed to giving it my best shot and trying to grow the world’s largest potato,” he told Stuff.
