A group of Costa Ricans took a Tico holiday tradition to new levels Friday by making a giant tamale to feed more than 2,000 people.

Measuring more than two meters long and one and a half meters wide, the cornmeal-and-pork Christmas specialty was made by employees of the tamale factory Arley Navarro in Aserrí, south of San José.

They used 40 kilos of cornmeal, 60 kilos of pork, 25 kilos of bacon, 60 red peppers, three kilos of garlic, 30 kilos of carrot and 30 bundles of cilantro in addition to 30 kilos of potatoes, 25 kilos of rice, 21 kilos of beans, 21 kilos of chickpeas, 15 kilos of olives, 100 kilos of plantain leaves and 200 meters of string to hold it all together.

The giant tamale elaboration was sponsored by Wal-Mart Costa Rica, which owns Costa Rican grocery stores including Más x Menos and Hipermás.

About 20 people spent eight hours Friday preparing it, and it was ready to be served up yesterday afternoon at the Hipermás in San Sebastián, south of San José.