Mexico's Largest Sandwich: Just Short of the World Record

The biggest sandwich ever made in Latin America was built by dozens of people in Mexico City on Wednesday.

But the 173-feet-long monster sandwich fell short of the world record by just a few loaves.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest sandwich ever made was in 2005 in the United States and weighed 5,440 lb, while the honor of the longest sandwich goes to two Italians who constructed a sandwich over 2,066 feet long in 2004.

Local authorities and 55 local business rolled up their sleeves to prepare the sandwich or "torta" as it is called in Mexico.
            
Thousands of pieces of bread, lettuce, onion and tomato were mixed with more than 70 ingredients, including hundreds of liters of mayonnaise, mustard and spicy sauces.

Each section of the 1540 lb super torta had a different flavor cooked up by local chefs. 
           
Organized by local government in the Mexican capital, officials hope the mammoth sandwich will give the nutritious Mexican torta a much-needed boost in sales as it struggles to compete with imported fast food chains. 

[Elena Edith Segura Trejo, Local Government Official]: (Spanish)           
"What we are trying to do is to support the social development of small businesses which are normally family businesses. In the last ten years, the sale of the torta has fallen 60 percent due to foreign fast food which does not have the same nutritional value of the torta."           

Despite its super size, the sandwich didn't quite make it into the big league of sandwiches.

For organizers, the sandwich exceeded the record they set one year ago when they prepared a baguette some 9 feet shorter than Wednesday's effort.             

[Ivon, Fair Participant]:
"It's great that they broke the record; I think it was 53 metres and the torta is very tasty."
            
With large crowds waiting for a taste of the mammoth sandwich, torta lover Paulina Barrera gave chefs the thumbs up for their creation. 

[Paulina Barrera, Fair Participant]:
"It was worth waiting; it is delicious. I'm eating the turkey, delicious, very good." 
          
The long torta challenge is part of a three-day fair that looks to support the traditional Mexican sandwich and more than 20 thousand local businesses across the country dedicated to producing the delicious baguette. 
           
Event organizers expect more than 350 thousand visitors during the fair and hope to sell hundreds of thousands of tortas.