Olayiwola Matthew
Nigerian celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has explained why she opted to cook 200 bags of rice instead of the initially announced 250 in her latest bid to set a world record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style Jollof rice.
Baci, who shot to fame after her 2023 cook-a-thon, began the challenge on Friday at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, drawing a carnival-like crowd of food lovers, celebrities, and dignitaries.
Among those in attendance were Nollywood actress Funke Akindele, dancer Kaffy, and Bamidele Abiodun, First Lady of Ogun State.
Addressing journalists at the venue, Baci explained that her decision to scale down was due to the 20,000kg weight limit of the crane and measuring device provided for the event.
“If you notice, when we started we weighed the pot and we need to weigh everything that goes into the pot when we’re done.
The goal was to hit about 17,000 to 18,000 kilogrammes including the pot. But since the crane can only weigh 20,000 kilogrammes, I had to go slightly below that. That’s why I cut it down by a thousand kilogrammes,” she said.
According to her, the 200 bags of rice produced 4,000kg of Jollof, which is enough to feed 20,000 people.
“This 4,000 kilogrammes of rice will still feed 20,000 people, so we’re still up there,” she added.
Baci revealed that the ambitious feat took almost a year of preparation and about nine hours of continuous cooking.
“Honestly, Gino and I figuring this whole thing out was hectic. It took Mr. Ayo two months to fabricate the custom pot, then nine months to plan the event. Cooking the entire meal itself took nearly nine hours,” she said.
Despite the stress, she described the challenge as both exciting and rewarding.
“We’re not done because we still have to distribute the food and make sure everybody here eats to their satisfaction. But so far, I’m very happy with what we’ve achieved today,” she noted.
Interestingly, Baci revealed that the idea was not originally conceived as a Guinness World Record attempt, but rather as a food experience for Nigerians.
“When I came up with this idea, I did not think about it as a world record, quite frankly. It was about bringing people together and feeding as many as possible. Some of you even came with your coolers,” she said with a smile.
“We’re feeding the nation,” she declared.
The London-based Guinness World Records also joined in the excitement, posting a video of the Lagos event on its 𝕏 handle.
“What’s cookin’? Best of luck to @hildabacicooks who’s attempting a new record for the largest serving of Nigerian style Jollof rice today,” it wrote.
This comes just two years after the body certified Baci’s record-breaking cook-a-thon in 2023, which earned her global recognition and inspired many young Nigerians to explore careers in the culinary industry.