Why The 'World's Largest Potato' Wasn't A Potato After All
When New Zealand couple Colin and Donna Craig-Brown discovered a 17-pound tuber in their yard, the pair knew they had to contact The Guinness Book of World Records to authenticate their finding (via Smithsonian Magazine). The vegetable, named "Doug" due to the fact that the Craig-Browns dug it out of the ground, was the same weight as a Thanksgiving turkey and had become a local New Zealand celebrity. "We put a hat on him," Colin Craig-Brown told the NZ Herald. "We put him on Facebook, taking him for a walk, giving him some sunshine. It's all a bit of fun. It's amazing what entertains people."
Craig-Brown originally wrapped the supposed-potato in plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge, hoping to eventually make vodka out of the vegetable as he awaited a DNA test to prove Doug was 100% potato (via Newsweek). In order to verify Doug's identity, Craig-Brown had to cut a piece of the alleged potato off and send it to Scotland, causing a ton of stress for the home gardener. "Do they think I genetically modified it? It's been a rollercoaster of emotion," Craig-Brown said. "While it's extremely deflating, I want to prove them wrong. We will do everything they ask of us."
The DNA results have now arrived, and Doug's identity has been revealed with a twist worthy of "The Jerry Springer Show."
What is Doug?
According to Mirror, the 17-pound vegetable isn't a potato at all. Scientists determined that Doug actually qualifies as a type of gourd, disqualifying it from ranking as the heaviest potato in The Guinness Book of World Records. The news shocked Craig-Brown, who couldn't fathom why the vegetable looked so much like a potato. "It's been a real roller-coaster of potato-rama," he said. "We hopped on the roller-coaster eyes wide open and enjoyed the ride and this was the last real twist."
The couple have a theory that the faux-tuber had grown undisturbed for years and was most likely self-sown. The news hasn't put a damper on the home gardener's spirits, and Craig-Brown has since vowed to grow the biggest potato imaginable. In the meantime, the pair still have the gourd in their freezer and take it on rides around town in a wagon, per The Guardian. "I say 'gidday' to him every time I pull out some sausages," Craig-Brown continued. "He's a cool character. Whenever the grandchildren come round, they say, 'Can we see Dug?' He is the world's biggest not-a-potato."