Story By: Jonathan Macias, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
A Spanish chef has reportedly found the world’s biggest mushroom which reportedly weighs a whopping 152 lbs sparking an investigation by Guinness World Records.
The 68.8-kilogramme (152-lbs) Meripilus giganteus specimen was found in the town of Santa Lucia de Gordon in the province of Leon in the north-central Spanish region of Castile and Leon.
According to local media, chef Sergio Martinez Valledor spotted the huge mushroom when he went for a stroll around a nearby forest.
Reports said Martinez Valledor decided to pick the large fungus several days later but needed several pals to help him out.
Martinez Valledor told local media: “I found it by chance, I was not looking for it. It was stuck to a beech tree.”
The chef and his friends split the mushroom into two pieces and dragged it to their vehicle.
Martinez Valledor added: “It broke in two, the lightest part weighed 22 kilogrammes (48.5 lbs) and the other section was well over 40 kilogrammes (88.2 lbs) which was very difficult to drag.
“We managed to get it back to the car, but we were afraid we would break it.”
According to local media, the Meripilus giganteus beats the previous record by 23 kilogrammes (50.7 lbs) and Guinness World Records are said to be looking into the finding.
The chef said the mushroom cannot be cooked as it is too big, but he plans to extract its scent. He is also willing to let any interested scientist study the specimen.
The mushroom is currently on show at the Aurea Restaurant on Plaza del Grano in the city of Leon.
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