The proverb “too many cooks spoil the broth” did not ring true at the recent World Chefs Championship Malaysia, where 86 chefs worked together to cook up the world’s largest serving of stir-fried noodles.
The record-setting dish was weighed to be 667.7 kg (1,472 lb) – roughly the same as an average adult cow or the heaviest man ever.
With the championship taking place in Johor state, the chefs decided to make Mee Goreng Johor-style stir-fried noodles.
In total they used 500 kg (1,102 lb) of yellow noodles, 20 kg (44 lb) of Chinese cabbage, 200 tofu cubes, and 20 tubs each of garlic chilli sauce, ketchup, sweet soy sauce and oil.
The chefs were divided among 20 woks and were overseen by Guinness World Records Official Adjudicator Sonia Ushirogochi and an expert chef who ensured that the dish was prepared correctly.
After being weighed in batches, the cooked noodles were transferred to two large containers, however, the chefs made significantly more than initially expected, so nine additional smaller containers were required.
A portion of the food was distributed to the audience, and the remainder was donated to local orphanages and retirement homes.
The World Chefs Championship Malaysia is a culinary tournament with over 1,400 chefs from around the world competing. At last year’s competition, a similar record was set for the largest serving of stir-fried rice noodles (365.8 kg; 806 lb).
Taiwanese chefs took the spotlight at this year’s event, winning a total of nine awards including the prestigious World Class Master Chef accolade.
Their standout dishes included osmanthus crab with a modern twist and squids fashioned into the shape of roses.
Sous-chef Cheng Chieh-wei said: “I almost cried. There were more than 20 countries, and seeing our national flag up there made it all worth the trouble. I’ve been cooking for so long. It’s all been worth it.”
