Massive 5.6 pound avocado in Hawaii wins Guinness World Records title
A 5.6-pound Hawaiian avocado has earned the Guinness World Records title for the world's heaviest avocado. Now that's a lot of guacamole.
The Pokini family, who live on the island of Maui, received the certificate from Guinness this week, according to The Maui News. Guinness officials said the average avocado weighs just 6 ounces — a fraction of the size of the new world record holder.
"It was just for fun," Juliane Pokini said. "We are showing the world that Hawaii produces record-setting avocados."
Mark Pokini planted his family's avocado tree when his son was born more than 10 years ago. The tree started as a seed from his brother-in-law's 50-year-old tree on Oahu, but has grown to be 20 feet tall, he said.
Mark and Juliane Pokini and their son Loihi knew they had something special when they saw the size of their avocados. They applied back in December for the world record, going through a rigorous verification process before receiving the title.
This is the family's second attempt at claiming the title for world's heaviest avocado. Unfortunately, their first failed to meet all of the requirements, which include input from a certified horticulturist, witness testimonials, weighing using a state-certified scale, photographs and video footage.
This time around, the family was ready. They gathered a team of people and the proper tools as the avocado grew in size, documenting it over time.
They did not water or fertilize the tree, instead opting to "kind of just leave it alone," Juliane said.
The wait was worth it. According to the family, it made enough guacamole to feed all of their family and friends.
"We were excited," Juliane Pokini said. "But at the same time, we were like, finally. It was such a long wait."
