Philippine farmers serve 313 pork dishes to set new Guinness World Record

The farmers from the Southeast Asian country surpassed the required minimum of 300 pork dishes set by Guinness World Records by serving 313 different pork dishes during the five-day pig festival on March 1.

Out of a total of 341 dishes submitted, 28 dishes were disqualified for not meeting the Guinness requirements, according to official Guinness adjudicator Sonia Ushirogochi.

“As you know the minimum is 300. Today, we have 341 dishes that were submitted. However, we have some disqualifications, some of the dishes do not meet the guidelines. We have 28 dishes that do not meet the guidelines, so with a total of 313, we have a new Guinness World Record for most varieties of pork dishes on display,” Ushirogochi is quoted by the Philippine Star.

She presented the Guinness World Record certificate to the members of NatFed and also noted that each dish should weigh at least 3 kilos.

NatFed Chairman Chester Warren Tan also said that the Hog Festival will contribute to an increase in tourism by showcasing the nation's culinary heritage of providing pork dishes adding that the record will also encourage local hog farmers to expand hog production to increase the country's per capita consumption of pork, the Manila Times reported.

He added that NatFed wants to increase the per capita consumption of pork in the Southeast Asian country from 16 kg to 17 kg.

The Guinness record, according to Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr., will help raise awareness of African swine flu (ASF), which has affected the local hog population.

Pig production in the Philippines fell from a record high of 12.8 million in 2020 to 9.94 million in 2021 and 9.43 million in 2022, with small farmers most affected, Manila Times reports.