Mr Ken Love, a veteran fruit grower of Hawaiin, is perhaps one of the best losers in the world.
He was all smiles as he saw his Guinness record of having grown the biggest jackfruit (35 kg) being surpassed by humble farmers of Panruti in Tamil Nadu who lugged along a 51 kg specimen to the three-day National Jackfruit Festival being held at the Kanakakunnu Palace here.
“This is amazing” an out-of-breath Love told Deccan Chronicle after trying to lift the monster ‘chakka’. “It is true that I have lost my record. But I love jackfruit so much that I don’t mind losing.”
Mr Haridas, who carted the fruit to the fest, says that even bigger specimens were grown by farmers of Panruti in Cuddalore district. “Last month, there was one jackfruit which weighed around 80 kg, but it was sold,” he said. Mr Love could not but admire the mammoth jackfruit from all angles. He also promised the farmers that he would help them do the paper work to mark their achievement in the Guinness Book.
A top-notch Associated Press reporter in Europe, Mr Love turned to farming in 1992 and is now the executive director of the Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers Association. He is presenting a paper at the festival and is also wearing the apron of a chef to prepare tasty jackfruit jam for the attendees . “I want to popularise jackfruit everywhere,” he said. “It is both tasty and healthy. I grow lots of it in my farm. Unfortunately I could not get a Hawaiin shirt with jackfruit on it and had to opt for breadfruit.”
Perhaps Love’s passion for jackfruit will also bring it back to fa-shion among Keralites, who have been neglecting it as a low-down rustic entity.
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