Celebrity chef, Hilda Baci, on Saturday achieved her culinary feat of cooking the largest pot of jollof rice in a bid to set a new Guinness World Record, GWR.
Baci successfully completed the feat, cooking about 200 bags of rice in a 22,619-litre pot, measuring six metres wide and six metres tall in about nine hours.
The attempt was carried out in a custom-built pot measuring six meters wide, which took a 300-member culinary team two months to make.
For the record, Baci used a recipe including 4,000kg of rice (200 bags), 500 cartons of tomato paste, and 600kg of onions while more than 2,000 people were present to cheer and taste the record-breaking jollof.
The 28-year-old chef had initially planned to cook 250 bags of Basmati rice but reduced it to 200 bags due to weighing challenges.
The event, held at Car Park B of Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, tagged, ‘Gino World Jollof Festival’, was attended by fans, food vendors and entertainers, who turned out en masse to support the chef.
After the preparation of the jollof rice, it was distributed to over 30,000 people in takeaway packs.
People were also encouraged to bring their coolers as the food was in excess.
The Federal Government had, on Friday, commended Baci in her quest to set a new GWR for cooking the world’s largest pot of jollof rice.
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The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the effort was another demonstration of Nigeria’s global excellence.
Idris gave the commendation through Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, at the event venue.
Idris expressed optimism that her record attempt would inspire a new generation and creatives.
“We encourage more young Nigerians to channel their creativity and talents into ventures that will not only benefit them personally but also contribute to national development and global recognition,” he said.
The crowd included celebrities, dignitaries and royals. Spyro, Funke Akindele, Enioluwa, Peller, dancer Kaffy, and media personality Tomike Adeoye were among the familiar faces.
Nigerian influencers and Nollywood stars including Bamike Olawunmi-Adenibuyan, Enioluwa Adeoluwa, Tomike Adeoye among others, joined thousands of fans to support Baci during the event.
Students of Bethesda Home and School for The Blind were also at the event to lend their support to the chef.
The record-breaking feat adds another milestone to Baci’s growing list of achievements while showcasing Nigerian cuisine on the global stage.
Baci had earlier described the attempt as a vibrant festival of Nigerian culture, music, and community spirit.
The chef first gained fame in May 2023. She set a new Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual. However, Irish chef Alan Fisher later surpassed her record in November of the same year.
