- Who
- Confraria dos Sabores Poveiros
- What
- 1027 kilogram(s)
- Where
- Portugal (Póvoa de Varzim)
- When
The largest serving of Arroz de Sardinha is 1027 kg (2264.14 lb) and was achieved by Confraria dos Sabores Poveiros (Portugal) in Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal, on 6 July 2019.
Arroz de Sardinha (sardine rice) is a typical dish from the fishing community of Póvoa de Varzim, as a result of it being low cost and simple to prepare.
Over recent years, the dish has become less popular in restaurants and was gradually being forgotten. Therefore, Confraria dos Sabores Poveiros - an association whose purpose is to preserve and to promote local gastronomy - decided to attempt this record as part of the city festivities to draw attention back towards this typical dish.
When asked about the recipe followed, the organisers provided the following:
"Marinade: 500 grams of lemon, 10 grams of pepper, 150 grams of garlic and 250 millilitres of wine – for a plate for six.
Confection: 12 sardines, 600 grams of rice, 500 grams of red pepper, 500 grams of onion, 750 grams of tomato, 100 millilitres of olive oil, 10 grams of sweet paprika, spicy paprika to taste, salt to taste and 1 bunch of parsley.
Cook the sardines, removing the scales and guts. Remove two fillets from the sardines. The pimples and head are brought to the boil with water to make the broth.
Chop the onion and garlic and bring to the heat in a pan with a drizzle of olive oil. Let it brown. Add the red pepper and tomato - cut into small pieces - and season with salt and with sweet and spicy paprika.
After the stew, mash with the help of a hand blender. Add the broth. Bring to a boil and add the rice. Add the red pepper cut into strips and the tomato slices. 2 minutes before it is ready, add the sardines.
The recipe that served as a base was this traditional recipe, proportionally increased in relation to each of the ingredients."
An outsized pan was created for the event, weighing 567 kg and measuring 2 m in diameter.
The event was organised in collaboration with Confreres of “Confraria”, as well as volunteers from the municipality and students from the Beiriz Professional School.
Overall the serving tasted better than expected, given the size of the product! The biggest challenges were the organisation of the different work teams, namely in terms of preparation, distribution, inspection and reporting with evidence, so that the attempt was sucessful.
The organisers write that “being a Guinness World Records title holder is a great honour and a brings pride to the people of Póvoa de Varzim and is a way of recognising a typical dish from our community.” They also thank everyone who participated in the event and encourage everybody to not forget this heritage dish, so that restaurants can begin to reintroduce it into their menus.
