All over the world, we come across some bizarre and strange occurrences and records being shattered every day. Recently, news about the world's longest vegetable called leek went viral. Leek is a hardy biennial plant of the amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae), grown as a vegetable. It consists of a white onion-like bulb and leafy green tops. Right from healthy vegetable soups to pizza and even salads, pasta and so much more, the leek is used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. Leeks found in supermarkets are often around 30.50 cm (1 foot) long and one or two inches wide. However, what if we introduce you to the longest leek in the world? It is up to 4 feet long. Can you believe it? Yes, indeed it's that long!
According to the official website of the Guinness World Records, an amateur gardener from Stoke-on-Trent, UK, Derek Hulme has successfully grown the world's longest leek. That incredible vegetable measures to be 4 feet 8.3 inches tall. The leek is now in the race for the top prize at the National Giant Vegetable Championships in Worcestershire. There, its length was officially verified.
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Derek said, “I have just recently got into growing some giant veggies. But it's been my boyhood dream to hold a world record. Back in 2019, I and a few other giant veg growers were given a packet of 30 Bulgarian long leek seeds in an attempt to grow the first ever world record for the longest leek.”
However, he was unable to showcase his vegetables due to the restrictions put forth because of COVID-19. “But this year I entered the Malvern, CANNA UK National Giant Vegetable Championships and have finally officially won the Guinness World Records title for the world's longest leek,” added Derek.
Every year in September, the giant vegetable competition witnesses new and incredible garden giants in the presence of the official Guinness World Records adjudicators. This year alone the competition saw 11 new records being broken during this giant vegetable competition; which also makes it the largest number of new Guinness World Records titles ever achieved during the event.