Seven big American food records: largest calzone, s'more, pecan pie, and longest hot dog

American cuisine is an important part of the international food scene. Known for its flavour, diversity, and comfort, another aspect of American food-culture often commented on is large portion sizes. While usually referencing the amount of food served to one at a restaurant or in a package, these seven record-breaking large American foods showcases just how big food can literally become.  

Largest pecan pie  

Sweet, cinnamon-infused, and a holiday classic, pecan pie has been recently ranked the third most popular pie in America. Just as any pie, it can come in a variety of sizes, from a single serving size to a tasty slice of pecan goodness. One notable pecan pie was slightly larger than the rest — at a whopping 41,568 lbs (18.863 tonnes).  

The pie was created by the El Paso Baseball Club on 22 May 1999. To bake such a large pie, large sums of every ingredient was needed: 3,471 lbs (1,574.41 kg) of flour, 170 lbs (77.1 kg) of both sugar and powdered sugar (for the crust), 6,700 lbs (over 3,039 kg) of eggs, and 1,500 lbs (680.3 kg) of pecans.  

Largest serving of chicken wings  

A staple American appetizer are chicken wings. From garlic parmesan and lemon pepper to the Buffalo, New York originated buffalo wing, the many flavours of wings make the food a diverse dining experience that can serve many. Another set of wings that can feed a large group of people is the batch that holds the record for the largest serving of chicken wings. This serving was a substantial 655 lbs 12.8 oz (297.5 kg). The batch was prepared at Big Green Egg in Lawrenceville, Georgia last year on 5 October.  

Longest Banana Split 

Livestream of record-breaking event.

Trying to break world records is often a uniting force and no record showcased that more than the triumph that was the longest banana split. The record-breaking split was 26,377 ft 11.4 in (8,040 m) long.  This goal was sought after on 25 March 2017 by Feast of Senses Inc., an Australian-based company. The purpose of chasing this record was to connect the community against the issue of damaged tropical food crops that was occurring, especially in regard to bananas. In the end, the total length of the split was over 6,000 ft (1828.8 m) longer than Alaska’s Mount Denali is tall (20,310 ft/ 6190 m).  

Largest calzone 

Picture of the massive record-breaking calzone made by Brady Sweet and other helpers

Calzones, also known as an Italian turnover, are quite popular in the states. Often on the larger size, the dish is quite easy to share, especially when said calzone is 468 lbs 11 oz (212.62 kg). The impressive turnover was made at Café Amici and Sweet Hospitality VI in the U.S Virgin Islands in August of last year.  

The chef of the calzone, Brady Sweet, previously held this record in 2014, where his calzone was 212 lbs 7 oz (96.37 kg). When speaking of this most recent to the attempt Virgin Islands Consortium, he noted his team’s efforts: “It was so much hard work, it took literally three months to make this happen.” 

Longest hot dog 

Picture of the team assembling the hot dogs.

Hot dogs are amongst some of the most prevalent dishes in the USA’s food culture, especially with popular associations with holidays like Labor Day and the Fourth of July. Moreover, an estimated 20 billion hot dogs are eaten in the states every year. As hot dogs are a big success in the food industry, it only makes sense for some people to strive to make the dish supersized. The record for the longest hot dog measured at 668 ft 7.62 in (203.8 m). The savoury dish was made by Novex S.A of Paraguay in 2011.  

Largest macaroni and cheese 

Picture of team who made the record-breaking mac n' cheese

Warm and gooey, mac n’ cheese is a staple in many countries around the world. The dish can be quite filling and sit heavily in one’s stomach, especially if the serving of mac n’ cheese was record-breaking 4,742 lbs 2.29 oz (2,151 kg). The dish was created in Logan, Utah by U.S.-based Schreiber Foods Inc. in July 2022. The ingredients included breadcrumbs, macaroni, parmesan flakes, whole milk, and flour.  

Largest s’more 

Generic picture of a s'more. Photo credit: gwgladstone/ pixabay.

A classic summertime treat, s’mores are often the perfect size to be handheld. One s’more though defies those statistics. The s’more with the title of being the largest ever weighs 342 lbs 15 oz (155.58 kg). The s’more was made in Middlesex, Vermont in December 2019.  

The feat was achieved with the help of different brands in the area. The marshmallow and graham cracker were tackled by Red Hen Baking and the chocolate made by Nutty Steph’s. The event ended up being a community affair with the press and around 1,000 people attended.     

Food is often a great unifier between people of different backgrounds and from different places, just as world records are. When the two combine, the records able to be broken are huge, physically and metaphorically.  

Header: picture of hotdogs with hamburgers in background. Photo credit: Caleb Oquendo/Pexels.