Jalisco was the state that broke the world record for the largest serving of guacamole when a team of chefs managed to prepare 6,600 pounds of the typical Mexican dish in 90 minutes.
Carlos Tapia Rojas, Guinness World Record representative in Mexico and Latin America, stated: “They prepared 2,980 kg (6,600 pounds), breaking the world record. We’ve taken into account weight and sanitary measures, such as the handling of the ingredients.”
The previous record was 2,669.5 kg (5,885.24 lb) and was set in 2015 by the state of Michoacán.
The dish was prepared at the main plaza of Concepción de Buenos Aires, a town south of Jalisco known for its avocado fields. 1,550 locals and students of over 14 gastronomy schools participated in the task that required 25,200 avocados.
To prepare the traditional food, the participants needed 3,500 tomatoes, 750 onions, 90 kilograms of cilantro, and the juice of 3,000 limes. The ingredients were mixed while the representative from Guinness supervised the scene.
Producers from four municipalities provided the ingredients. From Concepción de Buenos Aires came avocados, from Tamazula de Gordiano the tomatoes, San Martín Hidalgo put up the limes, and Tizapán el Alto the onions and cilantro.
The ingredients were quickly cut and put into a container, where a dozen chefs at a time mixed them all together using giant metal spoons. Chefs and their helpers went to work at 10:00 am and finished up two hours later when the official weighing took place.
The event attracted a big crowd who got to taste the guacamole with tortilla chips, tostadas, and savory crackers.
Part entertainment and part political statement, avocado growers organized the preparation of the giant batch of guacamole at Concepción de Buenos Aires, breaking a Guinness record and attempting to make a point.
The event was intended to convey a message to guacamole-loving North Americans about the benefits they have wrought from NAFTA—as negotiators from Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. descended on Mexico City last weekend to discuss changes to the 23-year-old trade agreement.
Renegotiation talks between Mexico, the U.S. and Canada are now underway after U.S. President Donald Trump make reopening the 23-year-old accord part of his election campaign.
Avocado production in Jalisco employed 10,000 people directly in 2015, according to the state’s avocado producers’ and exporters’ association. The state is the world’s fifth largest producer.
About 80% of avocados consumed in the U.S., much of it in the form of guacamole, come from Mexico, where Jalisco has become the second-biggest producer of the fruit, after Michoacán.