Take the biggest bite: 5 food records that might surprise you!
Ever been so hungry you wished for the biggest bite possible? We’ve got records that prove food comes in any shape, form or size!
The world's largest hamburger, for example, was presented during a public event in Pilsting, Germany, in 2017. It was made by Wolfgang Leeb, Tom Reicheneder, Rudi Dietl, Josef Zellner, Hans Maurer and Christian Dischinger – a group of German friends who came together with enthusiasm to feed as many people as possible.
The hamburger included hundreds of beef patties topped with ketchup and mayo, massive quantities of cheese, lettuce and tomatoes, along with two giant burger buns to match the overall scale. It ended up weighing as much as a smart car - 1,164.2 kg (2,566 lb 9 oz), and could confidently feed thousands!
But here is a moment of science: our records also reveal the most inefficient food to produce – and surprisingly, it is beef. David Pimentel (USA), a former professor of ecology at Cornell University in New York, USA, conducted a study in 1997, researching how many plant resources it requires to produce certain foods. He found that beef has the highest plant-to-animal protein ratio, at around 54:1, compared to chicken, which is closer to 4:1. Although his research is debated, he suggested that reducing beef consumption could lead to greater availability of plant-based food.
Read more stories about record-breaking dishes in our Food and Drink section.
Then there's the world's largest fruit – the Atlantic giant pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima), weighing an impressive 1,246.9 kg (2,749 lb) and measuring 642.6 cm (21 ft 1 in) around. It was grown by Travis Gienger - a competitive gardener who is passionate about agriculture… and pumpkins!
Travis is from the Anoka area in Minnesota, USA, often called the Halloween capital of the world! Prior to this record, he has already grown multiple 1,000+ kg pumpkins. This record was achieved by him in 2023 at the 50th annual Safeway World Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off event, where each pumpkin gets carefully evaluated by local judges, then verified by the GPC (Great Pumpkin Commonwealth).
Other fruits are grown in literal bunches – and hold records too! The largest bunch of bananas was grown in Canary Islands, Spain, by Kabana SA and Tecorone SL. It weighed 130 kg (286 lb 9 oz) overall and contained 473 bananas, making it exceptionally large and dense!
Growing this many bananas was a part of Finca Experimental de las Calmas - a 160-hectare agricultural project that focused on transforming dry land into fertile ground for tropical fruits. A significant part of land was specifically allocated to bananas!
And of course, there is always a sweet treat! A team of cake artists from National Association Cake Designers in Milan, Italy, managed to bake the largest cake sculpture! It measured 16.46 metres (54 ft) long, 13.94 metres (45 ft 7 in) wide and 0.54 metres (1 ft 9.25 in) tall, comparable to the size of an apartment floor.
The cake served as a real edible canvas - designed as a map of Italy and decorated with small-scale models of iconic Italian landmarks, such as the leaning tower of Pisa, the Alps, and the Colosseum. It was officially presented during the Hobby Show at the Milan Trade Fair, where each visitor could try a slice. After all, when it comes to food, records are made to be shared!
