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Nigerian chef, Hilda Baci attempts to make world’s largest pot of jollof rice

10:59 AM
Nigerian chef, Hilda Baci attempts to make world’s largest pot of jollof rice
Hild Baci’s pot of jollof rice. PHOTO/ A screengrab by K24 Digital of videos by KK TV

Nigerian chef and former Guinness World Record holder Hilda Baci has attempted to make the world’s largest pot of jollof rice, a popular West African dish.

Thousands of people gathered in Nigeria’s capital, Lagos, to watch the food influencer’s latest world record bid, after once holding the 2023 title for the longest cooking marathon – an exhausting 93 hours and 11 minutes, or nearly four days.

Her gigantic jollof recipe included 4,000 kg (8,800 lb) of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste, and 600 kg of onions – all poured into a custom-made pot that can hold 23,000 litres.

The dish took several hours to cook, and evidence of the feat must now be validated by the Guinness World Records organisation.

Watch: Nigerian chef Hilda Baci breaks Guinness World Record for longest cooking time

Baci, 28, told BBC Pidgin that it took her a year to plan how she would tackle the mammoth 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.”

Chef Hilda Baci’s pot of jollof rice on September 13, 2025. PHOTO/ A screengrab by K24 Digital of videos by https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qrzTGXY6D4

Manufacturing the giant steel vessel to hold her dish took a culinary team of 300 people two months to make.

Working with a group of assistants wielding massive wooden spatulas, Baci’s crowning dish was later distributed for onlookers to enjoy.

Jollof rice is a staple of Nigerian cuisine, featuring rice simmered in a tomato sauce, often paired with meat or seafood.

Baci won a competition for her version of jollof rice in 2021, and then became a national sensation in 2023 when she claimed the cooking marathon record

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