Hilda Baci Breaks Guinness Record with World’s Largest Jollof Rice Pot

Nigerian celebrity chef Hilda Baci has set another milestone after Guinness World Records officially recognized her massive pot of jollof rice as the largest ever cooked.

The record-breaking feat took place in Lagos on Friday, where Baci prepared 8,780 kilograms (19,356 pounds) of the popular West African dish in a pot measuring six metres wide. Guinness confirmed the achievement on Monday, calling it “the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice.”

Baci, who turns 30 this weekend, celebrated the win on her official X page, writing, “We have done it again,” in reference to her 2023 record for marathon cooking, which was later surpassed.

To achieve the new record, she used around five tonnes of basmati rice, 600 kilograms of onion, and 750 kilograms of cooking oil, all marinated in tomato sauce. More than 8,000 spectators gathered to cheer her on as the pot simmered.

Jollof rice, rooted in the ancient Wolof empire spanning present-day Senegal, Mauritania, and Gambia, is a staple dish across West Africa. While Nigeria and Ghana often compete over who makes the best version, it was the Senegalese variant that secured UNESCO recognition in 2021 as part of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage.

This latest accolade adds to Baci’s growing culinary legacy and strengthens Nigeria’s place in the ongoing “jollof rivalry” across the continent.