Internet Activity

Eat It Up!

Materials: calculator, supermarket advertisement or the Internet

Work in a group of two or three.

Biggest Holiday Log

A record 2.3-ton holiday log was created and eaten at the Mercure Hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 25, 1997. The log, which measured 27½ feet long, and 2 ft. wide, took 10 people 360 hours to prepare. It was made using 462 pounds 15 ounces of flour, 661 pounds 6 ounces of sugar, 264 pounds 9 ounces of butter, 264 pounds 9 ounces of evaporated milk, and 594 eggs. After the log was complete, it was cut into 19,212 servings. Source: Guinness Book Of Records

Procedure for the Activity

Step 1  Print out a copy of this activity.

Step 2  Use a supermarket advertisement or a grocery-shopping site on the Internet to find the cost of flour, sugar, butter, evaporated milk, and eggs.

Step 3  Answer the questions below. Be sure to show the calculations you make to answer each question.

Questions About the Holiday Log

1. Find the total cost of each ingredient listed for the holiday log. For example, use a price you find for a dozen eggs to find the cost of 594 eggs.

2. What was the total cost, excluding tax, of all of the ingredients listed for the holiday log?

3. What additional costs do you think there may have been to make this holiday log?

4. Suppose the hotel charged for each portion of the holiday log served. What do you think they should have charged for each serving? Explain your reasoning.

5. If each portion was the same size, how many ounces were in one serving?

6. Consider the dimensions of the holiday log. What might have been the dimensions of one portion of the log? Explain how you found the dimensions.

Wrapping Up the Activity

Make a poster or Web page showing your answers to the questions about the holiday log. Be creative. Add pictures or artwork to your poster or Web page. If you prefer, research another world record food and find its cost.