Largest nut brittle becomes symbol of Philippines' strength after typhoon delayed record

In the mood for a nutty sweet treat? Well, the people of Province of Sorsogon have you covered.

Known as ‘Land of Kasanggayahan’ or ‘A Life of Prosperity’, the Province of Sorsogon, Philippines, smashed the record for the largest nut brittle/praline.

The delicious confectionary is a massive 144.16 m² - which would cover more than half a tennis court.

The key ingredient is the pili nut. This particular nut was a very important choice as it's a prime farm product of Sarsogon.

A whopping 1,572 kgs of pili nuts were supplied by local farmers for the world record snack.

The idea of the gigantic gastronomic feat was conceived and led by Sorsogon Governor Edwin Hamor and Sorsogon City Mayor Ester Hamor. The attempt was part of the Kasanggayahan Festival, celebrating the 131st anniversary of the founding of Sorsogon.

The attempt was originally set to take place on 24 October 2024. However, after a horrific typhoon shook the region, the province focused its efforts on rebuilding.

One year later, when the region came back to the record attempt, the event had an added meaning  - it became a testament to the people's determination and strength in facing challenges.

Of course, a world record attempt comes with many challenges. Bringing 260 chefs from Sorsogon's 14 municipalities and one city was already difficult.

And making the nut brittle was a big job.

Once the chefs were in place, preparation began. Pili nuts have a hard shell which all had to be removed - 1,572 kgs of them.

Creating a brittle mixture took over an hour, which then had to be spread evenly across the board. Once the caramelization was complete (with meticulously controlled temperature and timing), the chefs cut the brittle into bite-sized pieces.

The crowd went ecstatic when Official Adjudicator Austin Johnson announced that the Guinness World Records title was achieved. The successful attempt not only brought the people of Sorsogon together, but put its indigenous pili strongly on the world map.