In the wake of the viral sensation surrounding a gigantic potato statue, known as ‘Big Potato,’ the village of Xylofagou is gearing up to once again grab the people’s attention with its local produce.
Tomorrow, September 8, they are poised to make a bold bid for a place in the Guinness World Records by attempting to create the world’s largest batch of fried potatoes.
The audacious undertaking involves the use of eight huge frying pans, each boasting a nearly one-meter diameter. Massive quantities of cooking oil and over a ton of potatoes will be used, while a representative from the Guinness World Records is set to be on location, tasked with documenting the feat.
A team of volunteers, under the guidance of the Xylofagou Community Council, will take charge of the potato frying operation. Once weighed and cooked, the chips will be distributed free of charge to all attendees at the ‘International Potato Festival’ which opened its doors yesterday, making a triumphant return after a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
However, the road to breaking the record is not without its challenges. Xylofagou aims to surpass the previous record held by an Indian region, which achieved a total of 665 kg of fried potatoes. George Tasou, the community leader of Xylofagou, expressed their lofty aspirations, stating, “Our objective is to reach the impressive milestone of 700 kg.” He stressed that the event is a vital part of their community’s ongoing promotional efforts. “We are the largest potato-producing village and we are doing another attempt to highlight our community, as was the case when ‘Big Potato’ went viral,” he added.
The International Potato Festival will draw to a close on Friday, featuring a lineup of artists from Greece and Cyprus, as well as dance groups. A standout event on the festival schedule is a headline concert featuring Elli Kokkinou.
The Big Potato is a 4.9 metres-tall statue in Xylofagou made of fibreglass. It was erected to commemorate the villages’ potato-producing history and was shaped after the Spunta Potato breed, which is grown locally and is famous for its abnormally long shape. Xylofagou community leader George Tasou stated that it was inspired by The Big Fish in Belfast.
Two months after its erection, the statue was vandalised on January 1, 2022. A 500 euro reward was raised for those who found the vandals but no information was provided. It was re-erected afterwards.
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