India, April 20 -- There was a time when I would hear about the world's largest pumpkin or watch a hot-dog-eating contest, and wonder what motivated people to pursue such extreme feats.
Over time, I have discovered that there is reason, of a kind, behind many such endeavours: a search for recognition, a sense of pride in one's work, a wish to reach out to the community.
This week, I'm looking at food records that tell an intriguing story.
l The world's heaviest pumpkin: Travis Gienger has been growing pumpkins since he was 14. In April 2023, aged 43, he decided to step up his game. He bought two specially crossbred seeds, at a whopping $600 each, and began to germinate them indoors.
The seedlings were then transferred to a hoop house in...