University Cooks Up World Record Stir-Fry

Staff and students at the University of Massachusetts celebrated the start of the new semester on Monday by making the world's largest stir-fry.

Using a custom-built, 14-foot (4.27-meter)-frying pan, the 4,010-pound (1,820-kilogram) meal included 800 pounds (360 kilograms) of chicken, 500 pounds (227 kilograms) of onions, 400 pounds (180 kilograms) of carrots, 300 pounds (135 kilograms) of broccoli as well as peppers, green beans, bok choy, peanuts, basil and garlic. It was cooked in 50 pounds (23 kilograms) of canola oil.

Ken Toong, executive director of Auxiliary Enterprises at UMass-Amherst, says the purpose was to stress sustainability and promoting healthy eating as many of the vegetables were grown at a student-run farm.

A Guinness Book of World Records representative was on hand to certify the record. The previous record was 2,319 pounds (1,050 kilograms).