New York, NY – The Israeli chef of the New York restaurant Olympic Pita used thousands of chickpeas, 40 liters of oil and a variety of spices to create the world’s largest falafel ball on Friday.
Subscribe to our Daily Roundup Email
Weighing in at 10.9 kilograms and with a circumference of more than a meter, the falafel ball is expected to enter the Guinness Book of World Records in the coming days.
Israel’s latest record bid comes amid an ongoing ‘war’ with neighboring Lebanon over another chickpea product – hummus. On May 12 Lebanese chefs smashed Israel’s record with a four-ton serving of the favorite Middle Eastern dip.
“The record set today is nothing compared to the goal we have set for ourselves for next year – the world’s largest gefilte fish,” said Israeli Consul General Asaf Shariv, who added that the record also kicked off a week’s worth of Israel-related events in New York, including the annual Israeli day parade on Fifth Avenue.
The week, dubbed Israel week, was initiated by the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York in cooperation with the New York municipality.
The parade, scheduled for Sunday, was expected to draw thousands of Israel supporters in New York. Omri Casspi, the first Israeli to play in the NBA, was set to lead the procession alongside Israeli consulate staff.
On Monday, Israeli musician Idan Raichel is due to perform before a crowd of about 2,000 New Yorkers.
Looks more like a keegel than a ‘ball’ which kinda gives me an idea… potato balls? Would be yummy, crust with every bite and you can put them to koch mit dem chulent all night long. I’m totally doing it for next Shabbos!
what a ridiculous contest. If anyone really cared, this record is pretty easy to beat
A bandah echteh mesheguhyim
I wouldn’t want to be standing too close to the guy that actually eats that falafel….. if you know what I mean.
yum,i love falafal
The Consul General will never set the record. I caught a 400 lb gefilte fish in Lake Michigan in 1987 and the record still holds.
“The record set today is nothing compared to the goal we have set for ourselves for next year – the world’s largest gefilte fish,” said Israeli Consul General Asaf Shariv
By the way, that doesn’t look like a ball of any kind. I’m certain this record will be quickly shattered with a true round ball.
Put that into a pita – and surely one Jew will complain that his falafel only had one ball!
And we wonder why obesity is such an endemic problem in the Jewish community ?!?!? How about some contests of physical fitness, so that all of the fatsos out there can cut down a few pounds?
coz we need more cholesterol and calories?
how long did it take to cook that thing? how could they even fit that in an oven?