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Nigeria has once again carved its name into the Guinness World Records, thanks to celebrity chef Hilda Baci. In a spectacular culinary feat in Lagos last week, Baci cooked the largest pot of jollof rice ever recorded, an achievement confirmed by Guinness World Records (GWR) on social media.
The record-breaking dish weighed an astonishing 8,780 kilograms. The massive undertaking involved nine hours of non-stop cooking, culminating in a breathtaking moment when the custom-built pot buckled under the strain as it was hoisted onto a crane for weighing. For a tense few seconds, the effort looked in danger of collapsing—yet not a grain of rice was lost.
Baci, who has become a household name in Nigeria and beyond, celebrated the achievement with gratitude. “This moment isn’t just mine… it belongs to all of us,” she said, dedicating the record to her supporters, team, and fellow Africans. “We made history together, for Nigeria, for Africa, and for everyone who believes in the power of food to bring us closer—this win is yours too.”
The enormous recipe that clinched the title was as impressive as the record itself: 4,000 kilograms of rice, 600 kilograms of onions, 500 cartons of tomato paste, and 168 kilograms of goat meat all went into the pot. To manage the sheer scale, Baci was joined by 10 chefs dressed in red uniforms, who used oversized wooden spoons to stir the dish. Manufacturing the steel vessel to hold the food required 300 people working over two months, producing a container capable of holding 23,000 liters. Even so, the giant pot faltered twice during the weighing process, with one of its legs giving way at a critical moment.
Thousands of people gathered in Lagos to witness the event, reflecting the unifying power of jollof rice in West African culture. Once cooked, the enormous dish was divided into individual portions and distributed freely among the crowd and passersby, turning the record attempt into a communal celebration.
Baci later shared her joy on social media, posting a video of her reaction to the confirmation and praising the “tireless team” behind the effort. She revealed it took a full year of planning to prepare for the challenge. “We [Nigerians] 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.”
The feat adds to Baci’s growing list of achievements. She first rose to prominence in 2021 after winning a jollof rice cooking competition, and in 2023, she captured global attention by setting the record for the longest cooking marathon, clocking an exhausting 93 hours and 11 minutes. Although her marathon record has since been surpassed, her latest triumph with jollof rice reaffirms her place in the culinary history books.
Jollof rice, a beloved staple across West Africa, is more than just food—it’s a symbol of cultural pride, unity, and shared heritage. With her record-breaking effort, Hilda Baci has given Nigeria and Africa yet another reason to celebrate.
