A farmer in Israel has grown the world’s heaviest strawberry, according to Guinness World Records. The gigantic berry, grown by Chahi Ariel, weighs 289 grams (10.19 ounces). It is about five times the average weight of a regular berry of the local Ilan variety, said Nir Dai, a scientist at Israel’s Volcani Institute where the strain was bred.

Ariel had been hoping he was going to secure a record when they saw how big the fruit was growing on his family farm last year. He has been keeping the strawberry as proof while awaiting confirmation from Guinness. “When we heard, it was an amazing feeling. I jumped in the car, laughed, and sang,” said Ariel. “We’ve been waiting for this for a long time.” Unusually cold weather in early 2021 slowed the strawberry’s ripening process, resulting in its continuous weight gain, based on the record book’s website. In Israel, farmers grow strawberries during the winter season, with fruit being harvested from early November to May. The previous record-holder was a Japanese farmer who discovered a 250-gram strawberry in his harvest in 2015. Guinness World Records (GWR) is a reference book published annually in different languages. It contains features on record-breaking human achievements and wonders.