Doug (tuber) explained
Doug, also known as Dug,[1] is a tuber in the Cucurbitaceae family that was grown by Colin and Donna Craig-Brown near Hamilton in New Zealand.[2] Weighing roughly, it was thought to be the largest potato on record for a period after its discovery, topping the 11lb record holder at the time. However, genetic testing revealed that Doug is not, in fact, a potato.
Background
On 30 August 2021, while the Craig-Browns were weeding their garden near Hamilton, Colin's hoe struck what he initially thought was a fungal growth or a sweet potato beneath the surface; he discarded these ideas after realising the object's size.[3] The couple dug around the object. Colin extracted it with a garden fork,[4] scratched its skin, tasted it, and decided that it was a potato. The couple weighed it and named it Doug, after the word dug.
Doug grew in popularity locally and on Facebook, where the couple occasionally posted photographs of it.[5] [6] At the suggestion of friends, the Craig-Browns submitted an application for the tuber, which was being kept in a freezer at the time, to Guinness World Records,[7] in the category of largest potato. Doug was verified as being a potato by several gardening experts,[8] but doubts persisted. In March 2022, the Craig-Browns' application was declined after genetic testing conducted by Plant & Food Research confirmed that Doug was the "tuber of a type of gourd".[9] Chris Claridge, who assisted in the genetic testing, suggested that the tuber may have grown as the result of infection or disease.[10]
Colin Craig-Brown had previously stated that he planned to turn Doug into vodka once the tuber's popularity died down.[11]
Notes and References
- News: Bateman. Charlotte. World's heaviest potato contender in New Zealand turns out to be a gourd, Guinness World Records finds. 17 March 2022. Sky News. 16 March 2022. en. 27 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220427175837/https://news.sky.com/story/new-zealand-potato-the-size-of-a-dog-turns-out-to-be-a-spud-like-plant-guinness-world-records-finds-12567595. live.
- News: Perry. Nick. Nice try but no potato for New Zealand couple's giant find. 17 March 2022. Associated Press. 16 March 2022. en. 5 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220405223639/https://apnews.com/article/worlds-largest-potato-doug-a440afd3c656018c585078ed3ac18970. live.
- News: Javed. Saman. World's largest potato is actually a tuber, says Guinness World Records. 17 March 2022. The Independent. 16 March 2022. en. 26 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220426185923/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/giant-potato-guinness-world-records-tuber-b2037024.html. live.
- News: Page. Sydney. A couple stumbled upon a 17-pound potato in their garden. It's probably the biggest spud in the world.. 17 March 2022. The Washington Post. 8 November 2021. 17 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220317193106/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/11/08/largest-potato-guinness-book-garden/. live.
- News: Doug the ugly New Zealand potato could be world's biggest. 17 March 2022. The Independent. 4 November 2021. en. 14 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220414175212/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/new-zealand-doug-ugly-potato-guinness-b1951180.html. live.
- News: 'Doug' the mutant spud could be world's heaviest potato at nearly 8kg. 17 March 2022. Sky News. en. 23 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220323164106/https://news.sky.com/story/doug-the-mutant-spud-could-be-worlds-heaviest-potato-at-nearly-8kg-12459635. live.
- News: McCarter. Reid. That huge potato named Doug isn't actually a potato after all. 17 March 2022. The A.V. Club. 17 March 2022. en-us. 12 April 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220412012738/https://www.avclub.com/doug-dug-the-giant-potato-gourd-tuber-1848666546. live.
- News: Page. Sydney. They thought they unearthed the world's largest potato. It turned out not to be a potato at all.. 19 March 2022. The Washington Post. 19 March 2022. 29 March 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220329044440/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/03/19/worlds-largest-potato-guinness-record/. live.
- News: Calfas . Jennifer . 16 March 2022 . It Turns Out the World's Largest Potato Is Actually a Gourd, Guinness World Records Says . The Wall Street Journal . live . 17 March 2022 . https://archive.today/20220316201547/https://www.wsj.com/amp/articles/the-worlds-largest-potato-is-actually-a-gourd-guinness-world-records-says-11647452653 . 16 March 2022.
- News: Frost. Natasha. It Could've Been the World's Largest Potato, if Only It Were a Potato. 17 March 2022. The New York Times. 17 March 2022. 7 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220507003318/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/17/world/asia/worlds-largest-potato-doug.html. live.
- News: Ravindran. Jeevan. Is this the world's heaviest potato? New Zealand couple accidentally grow a titanic tuber. 17 March 2022. CNN. 5 November 2021. en. 9 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220509060234/https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/giant-potato-garden-plant-record-heavy-scli-intl/index.html. live.