Giant pumpkin breaks record in Kikinda: It was watered with 600 liters each day and weighs as much as 3 boars

Printscreen/RTS

The "Ludaja (Pumpkin) Days" event is one of the largest tourist and entertainment gatherings in Serbia's northern Banat region. This year it lasts four days and the focus is the contest to declare the heaviest and the longest pumpkin.

Recommended

This year the heaviest weighs 716.5 kilograms and was cultivated by Tibor Kokai, who comes from Serbia's neighboring Hungary. This is a new record, RTS is reporting.

This is Tibor's third time participating in "Ludaja Days" ("Dani Ludaje") and his second triumph, and as he says, the decisive factor was the seed he used, which he had a hard time acquiring at an auction.

"I am happy about the record, but it was not easy to nurture this giant because of the drought. It was planted exactly 153 days ago, and it was necessary to water it with more than 600 liters every day. However, the effort paid off and I will definitely participate again next year," says Tibor Kokai.

Meanwhile the longest pumpkin this time is 3 meters and 10 centimeters long.

This event is being held for the 37th time and is visited by tens of thousands of guests from Serbia and abroad.

It is known for its rich program, attractions, concerts and a sumptuous gastronomic offer of pumpkin-based dishes and sweets.

"You can make pies, rolls, cakes, juices, jams, various things. Everything that can be made from other fruits and vegetables, can also be made from pumpkins," says Radojka Vujadinov from the ethno-association Suvaca.

There are even skincare products, and then, pumpkin beer and cider.

"Both are quite difficult to make, because the pumpkin first needs to be cut, cleaned, baked in the oven. Then it's cooked to make beer, and for cider it's mixed with apples and then we get that juice," said Slobodan Suvajdzin from Kikinda.

Kikinda's "Ludaja Days" event ends on Sunday, and starting this year, it has been added to the Great Pumpkin Commonwealth calendar.

(Telegraf.rs)