Could this be the world’s heaviest potato? A New Zealand couple stumbles upon a gigantic spud in their garden

A couple from New Zealand may have grown the world’s largest potato without even realizing it.

Colin and Donna Craig-Brown, from Ngāhinapōuri in the Waikato region, discovered the massive tuber while preparing for the upcoming spring planting season.

“It was one of nature’s pleasant surprises,” Colin Craig-Brown shared with Dinogo affiliate Radio New Zealand. “I had no clue it was there, and I don’t know how long it had been growing, since I walked over it all last cucumber season.”

The enormous potato, affectionately named “Doug” by the couple, might just be the largest on record, tipping the scales at 7.9 kilograms (17.4 pounds). The current record stands at 4.98 kilograms (just under 10 pounds), set by British grower Peter Glazebrook in 2011.

While the Craig-Browns are awaiting confirmation from the Guinness Book of World Records, Doug has already lost a kilogram after spending some time in the freezer.

“He’s quite content in the freezer,” Craig-Brown told Radio New Zealand’s Jesse Mulligan. “I take him out now and then, let him bask in the sun, and let him experience the outside world.”

Doug’s unexpected presence was a surprise to the couple, who never intended to grow such a massive potato. His appearance is also quite unusual, with Craig-Brown calling him a “nasty-looking thing.”

“I had no idea what he was until I shoved a garden fork into the ground, pulled him out, gave him a scratch and a poke, and even tasted him,” Craig-Brown said.

The attention on Doug has been overwhelming and completely unexpected, making for a “wild” week for the Craig-Browns.

“After we dug him up and everyone had a look, poked, prodded, and squeezed him, we shared him on Facebook, and things just went a bit out of hand,” Craig-Brown recalled. “They call it going viral.”

When Doug’s 15 minutes of fame fade, the couple plans to turn him into vodka, a move Colin calls a “fitting farewell.”

“We’ll hold a wake for him, and everyone will raise a toast to Doug with the vodka I’m going to make from him,” he added.