Nigerian culinary sensation Hilda Baci, a former Guinness World Record holder, has embarked on an ambitious quest to create the world’s largest pot of jollof rice, a dish beloved across West Africa. This extraordinary event attracted thousands of onlookers in Lagos, eager to witness Baci’s latest attempt to secure a place in the record books.
Once celebrated for achieving the longest cooking marathon earlier this year—a grueling feat lasting 93 hours and 11 minutes—Baci is now setting her sights on a food challenge of monumental proportions. Her colossal jollof rice preparation required a staggering 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste, and 600 kg of onions, all meticulously combined in a specially crafted pot with a capacity of nearly 23,000 litres.
The meticulous preparation
The cooking process spanned several hours and is now under review by the Guinness World Records, which requires photographic and video documentation of the entire endeavor for validation.
Hilda Baci, 28, shared insights into her preparation with BBC Pidgin, revealing that the planning for this monumental task took her a full year. She expressed her pride in representing Africa through this culinary feat:
“We are the giant of Africa, and jollof is a food that everybody knows Africans for,”
she stated.
“It would make sense if we had the biggest pot of jollof rice, it would be nice for the country.”
A team effort
The engineering of the oversized steel pot required a dedicated team of 300 culinary experts, who spent two months constructing the vessel to accommodate Baci’s ambitious recipe. Once completed, Baci and her team, equipped with oversized wooden spatulas, worked together to prepare the dish for the enthusiastic crowd.
Jollof rice is a celebrated staple in Nigerian cuisine, characterized by rice cooked in a rich tomato-based sauce, often served alongside meat or seafood. Baci first gained national recognition in 2021 when her unique take on jollof rice won her a culinary competition. Her fame skyrocketed in 2023 following her record-setting cooking marathon, further establishing her as a prominent figure in the culinary world.