Lagos: Nigerian chef Hilda Baci has broken the world record for cooking the largest ever pot of jollof rice. The feat was accomplished last week in Lagos and has since been confirmed by Guinness World Records (GWR).
According to BBC, GWR announced the remarkable achievement on social media, highlighting that Ms. Baci’s concoction of the beloved West African dish weighed an impressive 8,780 kilograms. The event, which took nine hours of cooking, faced a challenge when the enormous pot used for the dish broke while being hoisted onto a crane for weighing. Fortunately, there was no spillage of the rice.
“This Guinness World Record was built on unity, love, and collective strength,” Ms. Baci expressed in her statement. She emphasized the historic nature of the achievement, noting that it was a victory for Nigeria, Africa, and all who believe in the power of food to unite people.
The recipe for this record-breaking jollof rice included 4,000 kilograms of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste, 600 kilograms of onions, and 168 kilograms of goat meat. These ingredients were combined in a custom-made pot with a capacity of 23,000 liters.
The event attracted thousands of spectators eager to witness Baci’s latest world record attempt. In 2023, she held the title for the longest cooking marathon, which lasted nearly four days. Attendees were rewarded as the massive dish was divided into individual portions and distributed to the crowd and passersby.
In an interview with BBC Pidgin, Baci shared that she spent a year planning for this ambitious challenge. She expressed pride in representing Nigeria, stating, “We [Nigerians] are the giant of Africa, and jollof is a food that everybody knows Africans for.” She added that having the largest pot of jollof rice would be a significant achievement for the country.
Baci was assisted by a team of 10 chefs dressed in red uniforms, who used long wooden spoons to stir the dish. The giant steel pot required for the challenge took a team of 300 people two months to manufacture. However, one of its legs gave way at a crucial moment during the event.
Jollof rice, a staple in several West African countries, consists of rice simmered in a tomato sauce and is often accompanied by meat or seafood. Baci gained national attention in 2021 when she won a competition for her version of jollof rice. Her fame grew further in 2023 when she set the world record for the longest cooking marathon, which lasted an exhausting 93 hours and 11 minutes. Although she was later surpassed by Irish chef Alan Fisher, the current record-holder is Evette Quoibia from Australia, with 140 hours and 11 minutes, according to GWR.