Nigerian Chef Attempts To Make World’s Largest Pot of Jollof Rice

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 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 4,000kg (8,800lb) of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste and 600kg 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.

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.”

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.

(BBC)