What are Jet Tila’s world records for?
It’s often said in introductions on Food Network shows like Tournament of Champions and Guy’s Grocery Games that Jet Tila has culinary world records, but it’s not often discussed or delved into. What does Jet hold world records in, exactly? Surprisingly, you won’t find any Thai dishes on this list!
- Longest California Roll (504 ft / 153.619 m)
- Longest Granola Bar (420 ft / 128.016 m)
- Largest Seafood Stew (6656 lbs / 3019.111 kg)
- Largest Fruit Salad (15,291 lbs / 6935.881 kg)
- Largest Stir Fry (4,010 lbs / 1818.905 kg)
World’s Longest California Roll
Jet set the record in 2017 with the help of over 300 students of Purchase College in New York. Their rainbow coloured mega maki required approximately 500 cups of vinegared rice, 800 sheets of nori paper, 125 avocados and 200 pounds of surimi, and an unknown quantity of fish paste. The previous year, Jet worked with students to roll a 50 ft California roll, springing the idea to go for the world record.
The students and volunteers all wore white chef’s hats and coloured t-shirts that said “Chef Jet Rolls Purchase.” The previous record was held by UMass Amherst with a 422 ft California roll.
Header Image Source: Jet Tila Twitter
World’s Longest Granola Bar
Another feat done in collaboration between Jet Tila and university student volunteers, the world’s longest granola bar was 420 ft. UC Santa Cruz and Jet set the record in 2015. The mega granola bar required approximately 50 pounds of oatmeal, 20 pounds of diced almonds, 15 pounds of peanuts, 60 pounds of brown sugar and more than 20 pounds of dried cranberries and golden raisins.
The bar had a texture similar to brownie or cookie dough and tasted sweet with a peanut butter flavour, likely due to its no-bake style preparation.
Image Source: Alex Dana, Porter Khouw Consulting
World’s Largest Seafood Stew
UMass Amherst and Jet have a history of setting world records together. This time around, they used a one-ton, 14-foot frying pan to cook the world’s largest seafood stew for a grand total of 6,656 pounds.
The stew used approximately 145 pounds of bacon, 1,000 pounds of seafood (including mussels, lobster, clams, haddock and salmon), 1,137 pounds of potatoes, 72 pounds of butter, 862 pounds of chicken stock, 72 pounds of flour, 287 pounds of carrots, 575 pounds of onions, 144 pounds of corn, 288 pounds of celery, 72 pounds of turnips, 72 pounds of parsnips, 1,725 pounds of half and half, with one pound each of oyster sauce along with a massive salt/pepper/seasoning mix.
Image Source: Journal Star
World’s Largest Fruit Salad
With over 500 volunteers and 15,291 pounds of fruit, the world record for largest fruit salad is held by UMass Amherst and Jet Tila. Four tractor-trailer scales were placed at the corners of the platform, which was built by the civil engineering department to support the weight of the pool.
The salad was created with 20 varieties of apples, five kinds of bananas, 14 varieties of berries, three kinds of currants, four kinds of cherries, three varieties of mint, three varieties of grapefruit, 10 kinds of grapes, three varieties of mangoes, 19 varieties of melon, 10 kinds of oranges, three varieties of papayas, 13 varieties of peaches, 12 varieties of pears, two pineapples, nine varieties of plums, three kinds of kiwi fruit ,15 other fruits and 500 pounds of orange juice.
Image Source: Los Angeles Magazine
World’s Largest Stir Fry
Yet another record set by UMass Amherst and Jet Tila, this time in 2011! The one-ton wok used to make the world’s largest stir fry was also used to cook the world’s largest seafood stew.
The volunteers chopped a large amount of vegetables including 464 pounds of carrots, 343 pounds of broccoli, 216 pounds of peppers, 535 pounds of yellow onions, and 208 pounds of bok choy. Additionally, they also chopped 50 pounds of garlic and some quantity of chicken.
Image Source: Mass Live
Final Thoughts
While some may find these records underwhelming, they’re still massive accomplishments (literally). The UMass Amherst and Jet Tila teams have set quite a few records, setting the bar high for other schools to follow. Their collaborations are an inspiring example of how university students and celebrity chefs can work together to achieve something truly remarkable.
