Samantha Baldwin, one of New Zealand’s Plant & Food researchers, who tested samples of the tuber told The Wall Street Journal that Dug “just wasn’t behaving as a potato should.”
A New Zealand couple who were hoping their 17-pound potato they named “Dug” would make Guinness World Record history were disappointed when they learned that Dug wasn’t actually a potato, after all, but a type of gourd.
The couple, Colin and Donna Craig-Brown, learned the harsh truth when they received a letter from Guinness informing them of Dug’s testing results.
Dear Colin,” the email begins, the Associated Press reported, in part, “sadly the specimen is not a potato and is in fact the tuber of a type of gourd. For this reason we do unfortunately have to disqualify the application.”
Samantha Baldwin, one of New Zealand’s Plant & Food researchers, who tested samples of the tuber told The Wall Street Journal that Dug “just wasn’t behaving as a potato should.”
“We couldn't identify DNA sequences that are specific to potatoes," Baldwin said in a statement.
The couple who found the potato on their farm near Hamilton, New Zealand, had big plans for Dug. Besides being crowned “the world’s largest potato," they were also planning to make their own vodka, the Journal reported.
Dug even became a sort of local celebrity with the couple posting photos of Dug wearing a hat or riding in a cart on Facebook.
All considering, the Craig-Brown's are taking the news pretty well.
“What can you say,” Craig-Brown said, People reported. “We can’t say we don’t believe you, because we gave them the DNA stuff.
The couple is now trying to figure out a different type of drink they can create from the tuber. And, even going back to the drawing board, this time around, growing an actual potato for next year's Guinness World Record submission.
In the meantime, Dug is resting in their freezer, and providing some good cheer.
"I say 'gidday' to him every time I pull out some sausages. He’s a cool character,” Colin Craig-Brown said, the AP reported. “Whenever the grandchildren come round, they say, ‘Can we see Dug?’”
