12 Food-Related World Records That May Never Be Broken
People are driven to break records for a variety of reasons. From achieving fame and recognition to reaching personal goals, breaking records can be a great way of challenging yourself and pushing the limits of what's possible. Whether it's sports, entertainment, or science, today breaking records is usually linked with Guinness World Records, which has become the go-to authority for documenting extraordinary achievements across a wide range of activities and disciplines.
Founded as the Guinness Book of World Records in 1954, the record-tracking organization is the brainchild of the late Sir Hugh Beaver, who at the time was the managing director of the Guinness Brewery. What today is a global institution started out with an argument about the fastest game bird during a shooting expedition. When Beaver couldn't locate a reference book that would settle the dispute, he decided to create his own.
The Guinness World Records boasts an abundance of food-related records, covering a diverse range of culinary achievements. Here're just some of the more impressive feats to whet your appetite.
1. Most expensive hot dog
Hot dogs are an affordable on-the-go snack that's normally associated with fast food restaurants and food stands. However, as it turns out, this is not always the case. In 2014, Tokyo Dog in Seattle took the humble hot dog to a whole new level, turning the snack into a gourmet experience. Those wishing to try the Juuni Ban hot dog had to dig deep — because at $169 a pop, this glorified wiener didn't come cheap. In fact, Tokyo Dog's hot dog has won the Guinness World Record for the most expensive commercially available hot dog.
So what made the Juuni Ban so expensive? In addition to a 12-inch smoke cheese bratwurst in a brioche bun, the hot dog came with a multitude of upscale toppings. Some of these included Wagyu beef, foie gras, shaved black truffles, paddlefish caviar, and maitake mushrooms. The Tokyo Dog food truck ended up selling six Juuni Bans in a day, donating the $1,014 raised from the sales to the Red Cross. While the hot dog was only on sale for a day, it was available from Tokyo Dog with two weeks' notice, until the food stand closed for business in 2017.
2. Heaviest carrot
If an average carrot weighs around 3.3 ounces, imagining one that weighs an astonishing 22.44 pounds can be quite a stretch. Yet, this colossal carrot does actually exist. Officially recorded by the Guinness World Records as the largest carrot ever grown, the impressive vegetable was grown by Christopher Qualley in Otsego, Minnesota, in 2017. And unlike its regular-sized counterparts, the giant carrot looks more like a chaotic jumble of vegetable parts rather than a singular carrot.
The creation of the jumbo carrot was no mere coincidence. According to AZ Animals, Qualley intentionally cultivated the giant vegetable. And the avid gardener says that his secret lies in a mix of great soil and seed, the right weather, a lot of fertilizer, and a touch of luck. "The weather this summer has been somewhat cool and cloudy, the perfect growing conditions for a carrot," Qualley elaborates, as reported by Mr. Plant Geek.
3. Eating 10 Carolina reaper peppers in 33 seconds
Measuring between 1,400,000 and 2,200,000 Scoville heat units, the Carolina reaper is eye-wateringly hot. In fact, the bright red vegetable currently holds the coveted place of the hottest chili pepper in the world with Guinness World Records. For comparison, Carolina reapers are between 175 to 880 times hotter than jalapeño peppers and around twice as hot as ghost chili peppers.
A serial Guinness World Record breaker and chili enthusiast from California, Greg Foster, left the public aghast when he set a new record in 2022 by eating 10 Carolina reapers in just 33.15 seconds. Foster holds two other records. One for consuming three Carolina reapers in 8.72 seconds and another for eating the most Carolina reapers in one minute. Perhaps this shouldn't come as a surprise considering that Foster cultivates his own chilies and owns a hot sauce company.
When asked by USA TODAY what it's like to wolf down the chilies, Foster was quick to respond, "Like you've opened your mouth and instead of taking a drink from a fire hose, you're taking a drink from a flamethrower. I'd say it's like eating a lit charcoal briquette." It's little wonder that the man in the know advises those vying for his title to have both milk and ice cream on standby.
4. Largest annual food fight
Food fights are a battle of skill, strategy, and luck. You have to know your ammunition, carefully choose your targets, and be prepared to dodge incoming attacks. All these skills are crucial to surviving the annual La Tomatina festival in the Spanish town of Buñol, where thousands gather each August to pelt each other with tomatoes.
Listed as the largest food fight by the Guinness World Records, in 2012, La Tomatina attracted around 40,000 people ready to hurl over 88,000 pounds of tomatoes at their fellow revelers. Festival-goers are given an hour to engage in mock battles using the tomatoes unloaded on the street by lorries. After the play fight is over, fire trucks hose off the 12-inch rivers of tomato juice, as well as the participants.
Popular with tourists and locals alike, La Tomatina started way back in 1945, when a group of young people had a dispute at a local festival. Since there was a vegetable stand nearby, the youth started hurling the red fruit back and forth. The story goes that the police had to be called to put a stop to the out-of-control dispute. Despite dictator Francisco Franco's attempt to stop the event, it grew in popularity and was legalized by the government in 1957.
5. Most Big Mac burgers eaten in a lifetime
While there's nothing wrong with the occasional Big Mac, eating the burger every day may seem excessive. However, there's one man who would disagree. Donald Gorske describes himself as a Big Mac aficionado and his passion for the fast food meal has landed him in the book of Guinness World Records. In 2021, the Wisconsin resident has been recognized for consuming the most Big Mac burgers in a lifetime — 32,672 burgers as of December 2021.
Gorske, who has been eating two Big Macs per day since 1972, keeps note of every burger he consumes (he skips the fries). He also keeps his McDonald's receipts meticulously organized by year. On May 17, 2022, Gorske celebrated the 50th anniversary of eating his first Big Mac. According to the burger king, during this time, he has only missed eight days of eating his fast food staple. Gorske also says that he keeps Big Macs in his freezer in case nearby McDonald's stores close due to a blizzard.
And if you think you can beat Gorske at his game, think again. The burger enthusiast is quick to dissuade anybody from trying to break his record, saying, "I'll be dead before you could even challenge it. I'm blessed with a high metabolism and good health which allow me to eat Big Macs without gaining a lot of weight."
6. Largest collection of fast food restaurant toys
Percival R. Lugue from the Philippines has snagged the 2014 Guinness World Records title for amassing the largest collection of fast food restaurant toys. And while at the time, the toy enthusiast had a total of 10,000 items, the collector is adamant that this number has now doubled. Lugue says that he has been collecting fast food add-ons since the tender age of five. The advent of chain restaurants in the Philippines in the '80s only spurred the young man on, and he has been building his fast food toy empire ever since.
When over the years Lugue's trinket collection grew too large for his family home, he built a new house that resembles a huge Happy Meal box to store it. Although he says that the building's design wasn't intentional, he also believes that it makes a perfect place to display his treasures.
To Lugue, each and every one of his fast food restaurant toys holds a special place as a unique memorabilia item with its own story. "They are like mementos of very special meals I shared with people who are very important to me," he told Business Insider. "I have to buy a toy just so I may be able to encapsulate or immortalize that fun rendezvous in a fast food restaurant with friends and family."
7. Fastest time to eat a burrito
Burritos are delicious and filling meals that can be easily adapted to suit various tastes and dietary preferences. The fact that they're wrapped in a tortilla makes them a convenient snack for those on the move. And while some of us like to savor each bite of this delicious Mexican staple, others prefer to gobble them up as quickly as possible. Miki Sudo definitely falls into the latter category. In fact, Sudo holds the Guinness World Record for eating an entire burrito in just 31.47 seconds, a feat that broke her previous record by a mere 0.88 seconds.
Incredibly, Sudo also set another Guinness World Record on the same day she devoured the record-breaking burrito. This time, she consumed six hot dogs in just one minute. But it wasn't just Sudo who etched her name into the Guinness World Records on October 22, 2022. Speed-eating and breaking records seem to be a family affair, with Sudo's husband, Nick Wehry, also eating his way into Guinness World Record by wolfing down 12 hot dogs in three minutes. The Florida duo met in 2018 while preparing for Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. "We actually met at the gym on the morning of the largest eating contest on our circuit," Sudo told Guinness World Records.
8. Largest bubblegum bubble blown
Chad Fell from Winston County, Alabama, accomplished a remarkable feat in 2004 by blowing a bubble gum bubble with a diameter of 20 inches without using his hands to stabilize or shape it. Unsurprisingly, this extraordinary achievement, which utilized three pieces of Dubble Bubble gum, has earned Fell a well-deserved spot in the Guinness World Records.
While Fell's record remains unbroken, the bubble gum enthusiast has some very valuable advice for any aspiring bubble blowers that he shares in a YouTube video. He starts by saying that weather plays a crucial role in bubble development, with warm weather being optimal for creating larger bubbles. Fell also advises that chewing gum thoroughly can help to break down its sugar content and increase its elasticity. Finally, he says that it's important to use many short breaths, rather than fewer long ones, to ensure that the bubble grows from the base.
When it comes to blowing gigantic bubble gum bubbles, there's another Guinness World Record that is particularly eye-catching. In 2000, Joyce Samuels of Louisville, Kentucky, achieved a record-breaking feat by blowing an 11-inch diameter bubble with her nose. According to the Guinness World Records website, Samuels' technique involves pre-chewing the gum for around an hour to dissolve its sugar content, shaping it into a rectangle, and placing it over her nostrils.
9. Most ice cream scoops balanced on a cone
The humble ice cream scoop has been around for a surprisingly long time. In fact, the handy gadget was first developed in 1866 when Alfred L. Cralle, who worked as a hotel porter, noticed servers struggling to get the confectionery into cones. Today, ice cream scoops are found in almost every ice cream parlor — and many kitchens — around the world. And while ice cream scoops are usually used to portion reasonably small amounts, one man decided to really put the utensil — and his balancing skills — to the test.
In 2018, Dimitri Panciera of Italy set a Guinness World Record by balancing 125 ice cream scoops on a single cone. In doing so, he beat his earlier record of 121 scoops, a feat he achieved in 2017. When building his latest tower of frozen desserts, Panciera used green, white, and red ice cream scoops to represent the colors of the Italian flag. In addition to his incredible ice cream balancing skills, Panciera also holds the Guinness World Record for building a functioning ice cream scoop that measures 6 feet 4.7 inches.
10. Tallest stack of M&M's
Not all food-related world records need to be grand in scale or quantity. Some records are achieved through exceptional skills and perseverance. This is definitely the case when it comes to the tallest stack of M&M's, which was built by Ibrahim Sadeq from Iraq in 2022. By stacking seven M&M's, Sadeq broke the Guinness World Record set earlier that year by an Australian, Brendan Kelbie, who managed to stack six of the chocolate sweets.
While stacking M&M's may appear easy, it actually can equate to many months of training, as highlighted by Gulf Today. "It takes extreme patience and dexterity to put an object in a state of equilibrium in an upright position. So, by finding the center of gravity of an object, or its balance point, you are practicing the 'art of balance,'" Sadeq explained.
Sadeq holds two other Guinness World Records — both just as impressive as his M&M's tower. In 2021, the serial record breaker distinguished himself by balancing 18 eggs on the back of his hand and the following year by stacking 38 cans.
11. First food smuggled into space
Known for its rich flavor and heartiness, corned beef is a popular dish commonly enjoyed on St. Patrick's Day. What's more, it's an incredibly versatile ingredient that can be used in a wide range of dishes, from savory casseroles and stews to delicious sandwiches. One man who knows all about the irresistible appeal of corned beef sandwiches is U.S. astronaut John Young, who has been listed by Guinness World Records as the first person to bring food into space without permission, on the Gemini III mission in 1965.
Young, who was authorized to only eat very specific foods during the 4-hour 52-minute mission, is known for smuggling a corned beef sandwich onboard the spaceship. The astronaut hid the offending snack in his spacesuit just before launch. Once in space, Young offered the refreshment to the mission's captain Gus Grissom. Unfortunately, it wasn't long after Grissom took the first bite out of the contraband gift that the duo found themselves amid floating bread crumbs. Since the situation posed a clear safety hazard in the zero-gravity environment of the spacecraft, Grissom promptly stowed the remaining portion of the sandwich in his pocket, saving the day.
12. Most juice extracted from grapes by treading in three minutes
In 2017, Martina Servaty from Germany stomped her way to a Guinness World Record by pulverizing 3.37 gallons worth of grapes in just three minutes. The record-breaking event took place on "The F Word" starring the fiery celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay. During her attempt at the title, Servaty was required to extract the maximum amount of juice possible from a 110-pound barrel of grapes using only her feet.
The feat saw Servaty build on her previous Guinness World Record of extracting 4.47 gallons of juice from grapes by stomping on them with her feet in three minutes, which she set in 2008. It also sees her beat her 2011 record of extracting 2.25 gallons worth of grape juice in the same manner in one minute.
This isn't the first time Chef Ramsay hosted a Guinness World Record-breaking event on his show. In 2017, Joe Carlucci set a record for the largest pizza base spun in one minute by throwing a pizza base of 28.34 inches.