A COURAGEOUS if bizarre bid by Iran to construct the world's biggest ostrich sandwich and encourage healthy eating became spectacular victim of its own success yesterday when an enthusiastic crowd of hungry onlookers scoffed the titanic snack as it was being measured.
Three representatives from the Guinness Book of Records blinked in amazement as people devoured the nutritious dish within minutes.
But rather than bury their heads in the sand, the event's architects remained hopeful that television footage would
prove the whopper sandwich was unsurpassed in size and weight.
"We still think it will be in the Guinness book because of all the evidence and footage we sent them," Parvin Shariati, one of the planners, said plaintively as he attempted to appear unruffled.
Some 1,500 cooks had spent two days preparing the sandwich in Tehran's flowery Mellat Park.
Fifteen hundred metres of tables had been laid side by side to bear the Moby Dick of sandwiches, which was stuffed with 700kg of ostrich meat and an equal amount of chicken.
The crowd had been promised a taste but organisers were wholly unprepared for the chaotic scramble that ensued before the work with the measuring tapes had been completed.
An American who went to the international food festival in the park said: "Unfortunately, by the time I arrived the Tehranis had devoured the entire 1.5km of ostrich sandwich!"
He did not leave Mellat Park disappointed, however. "There were lots of other stands offering samples of delicious food from all regions of Iran … it was a beautiful cool fall day and it seemed as though all of Tehran was attending the fair."
The ambitious venture was organised by Tehran's city council with ostrich farmers and caterers keen to promote ostrich meat. In retrospect, it was probably unwise to schedule the event's completion at lunchtime.
Ostrich farmers say the flesh of their flightless bird – apart from being very tasty – is very low in cholesterol, has half as much fat as chicken and is high in protein and iron. Iran is the world's largest ostrich breeder after South Africa and China but maintains it has a better climate than either competitor for breeding the birds.
Given yesterday's overwhelming response, ostrich meat is destined to take flight – metaphorically speaking – in Iran's restaurants, where it will inevitably end up between two slices of pitta bread – kebab is king in most Iranian restaurants.
The dishes that have made Persian cuisine famous worldwide are mostly home-made, because Iranian women generally do not work in restaurants.
One of the most celebrated dishes is ghormeh sabzi, a subtle concoction of lamb, herbs and lemon that takes great skill and hours to prepare.
Guilty Tehranis who gobbled the monster sandwich are waiting to see if the Guinness Book of Records will accept that what they were digesting last night beat the previous record ostrich sandwich of 1,378m, set in Italy in May.
