Celebrity chef Hilda Baci has completed a bold attempt to break a Guinness World Record by cooking what she calls the largest pot of Jollof rice.
At the event, held at Eko Hotels and Suites in Victoria Island, Lagos, she used over 4,000 kilograms of basmati rice, 500 cartons of tomato concentrate, 750 kilograms of cooking oil, and 600 kilograms of onions. Initially, she planned to use 250 bags of rice, but reduced that to 200 bags so the total weight would not exceed 20,000 kilograms, which is the limit of the scale being used.
More than 20,000 people registered to attend the free event, called the “Gino World Jollof Festival With Hilda Baci.”
Dramatic Moment
During the event’s weighing process, a dramatic incident occurred: the giant pot, when being lifted by a crane, slipped and its legs bent slightly. The cover also slipped, causing concern among onlookers. Despite this, the team paused and worked to stabilise the pot.
After nine hours of cooking, Hilda Baci expressed satisfaction at being able to achieve what she set out to do.
“It was challenging but very exciting at the same time… When I first came up with this idea, I never thought of it as a world record.”
Baci went on explain why she cut the rice bags, “It was safer to keep it below the scale’s capacity. Reducing by 1,000 kilogrammes still gave us enough to feed 20,000 people.”
The event went almost hitch free, except for when the pot of rice almost collapsed. A representative from her team remarked on the pot collapse: “We are reviewing the footage and the process. Safety was our priority, and the record attempt will proceed for certification.”
The event has ended and the food has been served to the crowd. Now, Guinness World Records will review all evidence — videos, photos, weight measurements — to decide if the attempt can be officially certified as a record.
