“Venezuela praised its 'socialist revolution' for a culinary conquest on Saturday: Guinness World Records for the country's beloved Christmas dinner staples. A cook-a-thon in capital Caracas landed Venezuela records for the biggest ham-filled bread, sugar cane juice infused with lemon, and “hallaca”, a cornmeal dish wrapped in plantain leaves. “Made in socialism, made in revolution”, Food Minister Yvan Bello said in a flurry of celebratory tweets. “The people are celebrating, Venezuela is a country of records, of achievements, thanks to the revolution!”, he added, feting the 20-meter bread, 12,000-liter drink and 120-meter “hallaca”. The initiative comes as Venezuelans struggle ahead of the holiday season due to shortages of basic goods and sky-high inflation that crimps purchasing power. Leftist president Nicolas Maduro has launched a plan dubbed “Operation Merry Christmas” to lower the cost of toys, clothes and appliances for shoppers amid the weakening economy. Critics blast the measures as unsustainable distractions to mask the OPEC country's deeper problems”. – Alexandra Ulmer via Reuters

Workers cook a giant hallaca – a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, raisins, capers, and olives wrapped in cornmeal dough and folded within plantain leaves, a typical Venezuelan Christmas dish, during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest hallaca, in Caracas November 15, 2014. The giant hallaca more than 120 metres long. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

People look a giant hallaca – a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, raisins, capers, and olives wrapped in cornmeal dough and folded within plantain leaves, a typical Venezuelan Christmas dish, during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest hallaca, in Caracas November 15, 2014. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Workers cook a giant hallaca – a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, raisins, capers, and olives wrapped in cornmeal dough and folded within plantain leaves, a typical Venezuelan Christmas dish, during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest hallaca, in Caracas November 15, 2014. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Bakers assemble a giant ham bread, a typical Venezuelan Christmas dish, during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest ham bread, in Caracas November 15, 2014. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

A baker bakes part of a a giant ham bread, a typical Venezuelan Christmas dish, during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest ham bread, in Caracas November 15, 2014. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Kim Partrick (L), a representative of the Guinness World Records, examines a giant ham bread, a typical Venezuelan Christmas dish, during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest ham bread, in Caracas November 15, 2014. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

A giant ham bread, a typical Venezuelan Christmas dish, is seen on a table during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest ham bread, in Caracas November 15, 2014. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)

Workers weigh a giant ham bread, a typical Venezuelan Christmas dish, during an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the biggest ham bread, in Caracas November 15, 2014. (Photo by Carlos Garcia Rawlins/Reuters)