A contender for the title of world’s largest potato was dealt a major setback this week when DNA testing revealed that it is not, in fact, a potato. Last August, Colin and Donna Craig-Brown, a couple from Hamilton, New Zealand, discovered an absolute unit of what they thought was a potato in their vegetable garden. The potato-like growth, which they dubbed Dug, weighed a remarkable 7.8 kilos (17.2 pounds), making it a candidate for the world’s largest potato – provided it was, as they suspected, a potato.
“When we uncovered this lump of tuber, we wondered, ‘What is this?’ Was it some kind of weird fungus growth?’ When the fake potato made international headlines, Colin told the Washington Post. They told how they continued to dig, only to discover more and more “potato” until they eventually discovered the beast of a “potato.” Colin ate a slice of notato and exclaimed, “Honey, it’s a bloody potato!” The notato passed the first round of testing.
The potato was entered into the Guinness Book of World Records by the pair. Dug should have easily beaten the existing world record of 4.98 kilos (10.98 pounds), which is little compared to a newborn potato. However, the pair was told that the Guinness Book of World Records needed to conduct a DNA test to confirm that it was a potato before awarding dug the title.
“Do they believe I tampered with it genetically?” Colin expressed his thoughts on the request. “It’s been an emotional rollercoaster,” she said, “and while it’s terribly demoralizing, I want to prove them wrong.” We shall comply with all of their demands.”
When the couple was approached by the Guinness Book of World Records last week with the findings, DNA testing shattered their giant potato aspirations. According to the Independent, an email to the couple stated, “Sadly, the specimen is not a potato.” “It is, in reality, the tuber of a gourd species. As a result, we must sadly disqualify the application.”
Despite their disappointment, the couple accepted the DNA results and have come to terms with the fact that Dug is not a potato. “Every time I bring out some sausages, I say ‘gidday’ to him,” Craig-Brown told the Independent. “When the grandchildren visit, they always ask, ‘Can we see Dug?'”
