Nigerian celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has explained why she decided to cook 200 bags of rice instead of the 250 bags she had first planned for her new cooking challenge. The project was aimed at setting a new world record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style Jollof rice.
Hilda Baci, who became famous in 2023 after her record-breaking cook-a-thon, started her latest food challenge at the Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos. The event drew in a huge crowd of food lovers, fans, celebrities, and important guests.
From the very first day, the challenge felt like a big celebration. There was music, dancing, and entertainment. Many well-known personalities attended, including Nollywood actress Funke Akindele, professional dancer Kaffy, and the First Lady of Ogun State, Bamidele Abiodun.
When speaking to journalists at the venue, Hilda explained that the decision to reduce the rice was a technical issue. The special weighing crane and scale, which were made to measure the food, could only carry 20,000 kilograms in total. This weight also included the huge custom-made cooking pot.
She explained:At the beginning, the pot itself was weighed.Every single ingredient added later also had to be weighed,her target was to cook around 17,000 to 18,000 kilograms of Jollof rice.But including the pot, the total weight would be close to 20,000 kilograms, which was the maximum the scale could handle.
Because of this, she had to reduce the amount slightly. Instead of making 250 bags, she prepared 200 bags, which gave her about 4,000 kilograms of rice, still enough to feed 20,000 people.
Hilda revealed that this event was the most ambitious project of her career so far. She shared that it took almost a year of planning before the actual day.
- Designing and building the special pots alone took about two months.
- Organizing the entire event required about nine months of preparation.
- Cooking the rice itself took nearly nine hours.
Even though it was stressful, she described the experience as both challenging and exciting. For her, the biggest joy came from knowing that many people would be able to eat and enjoy the food.
“We’re not done yet,” she said.The food still has to be shared, and we want to make sure everyone here eats to their satisfaction. But so far, I’m very happy with what we have achieved today.
Interestingly, Hilda confessed that the idea for this project was not originally about setting a Guinness World Record. Instead, she wanted it to be a food experience for Nigerians,a way to bring people together and share joy through food.
“When I first thought of this, I wasn’t even thinking of Guinness World Records,” she said. “I just wanted to feed people. And looking around today, I can see so many people here with their coolers, ready to take food home. We’re feeding the nation.”
The London-based Guinness World Records organization also joined the excitement online. On their official social media page (X, formerly Twitter), they posted a supportive message along with a video of the event.
They wrote:“What’s cookin’? Best of luck to @hildabacicooks who’s attempting a new record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style Jollof rice today.”
This recognition came only two years after Guinness officially confirmed Hilda’s 2023 cook-a-thon, which had already made her internationally famous and inspired thousands of young Nigerians to see new opportunities in the food industry.
Hilda Baci’s latest challenge was more than just about breaking a record. It was a celebration of Nigerian food, culture, and community, feeding thousands while showing the world the strength of Nigerian Jollof rice
