Nigerian chef and former Guinness World Record holder Hilda Baci has made an attempt to create the world’s largest pot of jollof rice, a beloved West African dish. The event took place in Lagos, where thousands gathered to witness her latest attempt at breaking another record. Baci had previously held the title for the longest cooking marathon – an impressive 93 hours and 11 minutes – duration of slightly less than four days.
Baci’s colossal jollof rice recipe called for 4,000 kg (8,800 lbs) of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste, and 600 kg of onions, all cooked in a custom-made pot holding nearly 23,000 liters. The cooking process lasted for several hours and now awaits validation by the Guinness World Record.
The 28-year-old Baci stated that it took her a year to plan the challenge. “We are the giant of Africa, and jollof is a food that everybody knows Africans for,” she said. “It would make sense if we had the biggest pot of jollof rice; it would be nice for the country.”
Production of the giant steel vessel took two months and involved a team of 300 people. With the aid of assistants and large wooden spatulas, Baci was able to complete her dish, which was later shared among the attendees.
Jollof rice is a staple of Nigerian cuisine, typically consisting of rice cooked in a tomato-based sauce often served with meat or seafood. Baci previously won a competition for her version of jollof rice in 2021, and gained national attention in 2023 when she set the cooking marathon record.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c306m1j542po?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
