An exceptionally large eggplant from Bloomfield, Iowa, has entered the Guinness World Records as the heaviest ever recorded. Weighing 3.778 kg (8 lb 5.3 oz), the enormous aubergine is comparable in size to an adult Yorkshire terrier and is over ten times the weight of a typical grocery store eggplant.
Planted by Dave Bennett in early April, the record-setting globe eggplant was harvested on July 31. It measured an impressive 71.12 cm (2 ft 3.9 in) in circumference and stood 35.56 cm (1 ft 1.16 in) tall.
Ivan Hankins from the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship’s Weights & Measures Bureau conducted the official measurement. “Initially, I was excited about another large eggplant from Dave,” Hankins said. “But when he mentioned this was the record-breaker, I was astonished to see we had a nearly 10-pounder!”
Hankins proudly noted, “Iowa is known for corn, but now we have the largest eggplant on record. It’s a proud moment for the state!”
To celebrate, Bennett’s record-breaking eggplant will be on display at the Iowa State Fair starting August 8. Bennett, a hobbyist horticulturist, has cultivated other large fruits and vegetables, including pumpkins and melons, and has been focusing on giant eggplants for the past four years.
Interestingly, Bennett admitted he is not particularly fond of eating eggplants. “I don’t remember ever eating one, but my father loved them. If he were still here, he’d be eager to try it,” Bennett said.
The previous record was held by a 3.362-kg (7 lb 6.6 oz) eggplant grown by Peter Glazebrook of the UK, who set the mark at the CANNA UK National Giant Vegetables Championship in September 2022. Glazebrook also holds records for other giant vegetables, including the heaviest cauliflower and potato.
The tallest eggplant plant on record was a 5.5-m (18-ft) specimen grown by Abdul Masfoor in Karnataka, India, in 1998.
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