World culinary record broken: Nigerian chef concocts the largest serving of jollof rice ever
In a historic moment, Nigerian chef Hilda Baci has broken the Guinness World Record for cooking the largest ever pot of Jollof rice. The record was confirmed by Guinness World Records on Monday.
Jollof rice, a popular West African delicacy made from rice cooked in a pepper sauce, was the centre of attention as Baci took on the challenge. The previous record, held by Baci herself in Lagos, was for 4,700 kilograms of rice. However, this time, Baci surpassed the requirement, cooking a massive pot of jollof rice weighing 8,780 kilograms.
The cooking and serving of the jollof rice took nine hours. However, there was a moment of high drama when the huge retrofitted pot collapsed under a crane during weighing. Despite the incident, the pot was successfully weighed, and the record was confirmed.
The mountain of jollof rice was distributed to hundreds of onlookers, with the distribution taking place at upscale Victoria Island. The cooking and serving of the jollof rice did not set a new record for the longest cooking marathon, as it was completed in nine hours, compared to Baci's previous record of 93 hours and 11 minutes.
This is not the first time Baci has made headlines for her culinary feats. In 2023, she held the world record for the longest cooking marathon. Since then, numerous attempts at Guinness World Records recognition have been sparked off by Baci's marathon cooking challenge, including challenges for the longest book reading, the longest skipping rope session, and the longest speech.
Despite the record-breaking achievement, Baci's marathon cooking challenge in 2023 was surpassed in the record books by Irish chef Alan Fisher in 2024. Regardless, the food industry and West African region celebrate Baci's success in breaking the world record for the largest pot of Jollof rice.
Jollof rice, a staple across the West African region, has gained international recognition with this record-breaking event. The dish, known for its rich flavour and spicy aroma, has become a symbol of West African culture and cuisine, and Baci's achievement has further solidified its place in the culinary world.
