NIGERIA: Hilda Baci Cooks World’s Largest Pot Of Jollof Rice In Record-Breaking Attempt

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria 

Nigerian celebrity chef and food influencer, Hilda Baci, has once again captured global attention with her latest Guinness World Record attempt, cooking the world’s largest pot of jollof rice.

The event, held at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos, drew thousands of spectators eager to witness the culinary spectacle.

The mammoth dish, prepared in a custom-made pot with a capacity of nearly 23,000 litres, contained an astonishing 4,000kg of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste, and 600kg of onions.

Baci, 28, who rose to fame in 2023 after setting the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon at 93 hours and 11 minutes, said the jollof rice challenge took her one year to plan.

“We are the giant of Africa, and jollof is a food that everybody knows Africans for. It would make sense if we had the biggest pot of jollof rice. It would be nice for the country,” she told BBC Pidgin.

The record bid required months of preparation. Manufacturing the giant steel vessel took a 300-member culinary team two months, while the cooking itself spanned several hours.

Baci, assisted by a team of chefs using giant wooden spatulas, carefully monitored the pot to preserve the authentic taste of Nigeria’s signature dish.

The chef reassured fans of the hygiene and quality of the meal, personally washing and sanitising the massive pot before cooking began.

“Yes, I can officially confirm this pot is squeaky clean! I washed it myself,” she said in an earlier update.

The Guinness World Records organisation has yet to officially validate the attempt, pending review of photo and video evidence.

However, the atmosphere at the Lagos event was celebratory, with over 20,000 attendees, including celebrities, influencers, and entertainers such as Funke Akindele, Veekee James, Tomike Adeoye, Enioluwa, and singer Spyro, who performed live.

When the cooking was complete, the steaming jollof rice was shared freely among the crowd, marking what many described as “a historic food festival.”

This latest feat further cements Hilda Baci’s reputation as one of Nigeria’s most daring culinary innovators, adding to her record-breaking journey that began with the famed “Cookathon” of 2023.