Nigerian celebrity chef, Hilda Baci, has completed her Guinness World Record (GWR) attempt for the “Largest Pot of Asun Jollof Rice”, following an intense open-air cooking session at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The cooking marathon, which lasted over nine hours, ended at about 1:20 a.m. on Saturday, with the dish officially declared ready to serve around 2:00 a.m.
Baci, who had aimed to cook 250 bags of Basmati rice for her 20,000 registered supporters, eventually prepared 200 bags due to equipment weight limits. According to her, each component had to be weighed to ensure the pot’s total weight did not exceed 20,000 kilograms — the maximum capacity of the measuring crane.
“It was challenging but very exciting at the same time. We’re not done yet, as we still need to distribute the food and make sure everyone eats to their fill,” Baci said.
“The process was hectic — designing and fabricating the pot alone took us two months. Overall, it took nine months of planning and over nine hours of cooking to bring this to life. When I first came up with this idea, I never thought of it as a world record attempt. I’m grateful to everyone who supported us, and I dedicate this meal to you all.”
Before she began cooking at 2:08 p.m. on Friday, Baci assured the cheering crowd, “Yes, I can officially confirm this pot is squeaky clean! I washed it myself.”
The event, which featured DJs, musical performances and celebrity appearances, saw the chef and her team stirring the gigantic 22,619-litre pot with wooden sticks while adding ingredients at intervals. At one point, she offered her supporters samples of the food, which drew praise for its rich flavour.
Notable personalities at the venue included Ogun State First Lady, Bamidele Abiodun, who joined her briefly in the cooking, Lagos State Deputy Speaker Lasbat Meranda, socialite Enioluwa, actress Funke Akindele, singer Spyro, and TikToker Peller.
Funke Akindele commended Baci’s determination, saying:
“She wants to break another record, and she will break it in Jesus’ name. I love Hilda because she is beautiful, she slays, and she is intelligent. She is beauty with brains.
So, young ladies here, you can look beautiful, but you have to hustle as well. You must do something special for yourself.”
Guinness World Records Reacts
Acknowledging the attempt, GWR wrote in a post on X:
“What’s cookin’? Best of luck to Hilda Baci, who’s attempting a new record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice today.”
Baci, who broke the record for the longest individual cooking marathon in 2023 after cooking continuously for 100 hours (officially confirmed at 93 hours, 11 minutes), now awaits GWR’s decision on her latest record bid.
Born on 20 September 1995 in Nsit Ubium LGA, Akwa Ibom State, Baci is a trained sociologist from Madonna University, Okija. Inspired by her mother, a seasoned chef, she turned her childhood passion into a global culinary phenomenon.
