On the morning the record attempt began, the air around the venue carried more than the scent of onions, tomatoes, and spices, it carried anticipation. From the bubbling pots to the rhythmic hum of kitchen assistants chopping vegetables, Nigeria’s most celebrated chef, Hilda Baci, was about to write another chapter in her extraordinary journey.
The goal was staggering: 250 bags of rice, cooked into one massive serving of Nigerian-style Jollof. But when the final spoon was lifted, the tally stood at 200 bags. For days after, the question buzzed through conversations, social media threads and headlines: why not 250 bags as announced before the epoch making event?
Hilda, ever calm and candid, offered the answer. It wasn’t about exhaustion or lack of supplies, it was actually about physics.
The custom-made pot, a steel behemoth large enough to make history, had to be weighed with a crane and an industrial-scale device. Both had a limit of 20,000 kilogrammes.
“When we started, the first thing we did was weigh the pot itself,” Hilda explained, her hands gesturing as though she were still counting bags. “My target was to hit about 5,000 kilogrammes of Jollof, which would have brought everything, pot and all, to around 17,000 or 18,000 kilogrammes. But once you factored in the pot, we were already brushing close to 20,000. The scale couldn’t go beyond that. So, for safety, I cut back by a thousand kilogrammes and stopped at 200 bags.” she said.
The adjustment meant she still turned out an astonishing 4,000 kilogrammes of Jollof rice which enough to feed 20,000 people. And feed them she did.
Around the venue, families, students, workers and food lovers queued eagerly for a taste of history. Children laughed as they balanced heaping plates, while elderly women in gele whispered prayers of blessing over the young chef. Volunteers moved through the crowd, dishing out steaming portions while cameras flashed, capturing not just the food but the pride that filled the atmosphere.
For the records, Hilda Baci spent over ₦300m on her Guinness World Record for the biggest pot of Jollof rice, using 200 bags worth ₦20m. With 11 months of planning, 20,000 attendees, global support and Gino’s ₦100m partnership which enabled her to win her second plaque after 12 hours of cooking.
For Hilda, it wasn’t just about numbers. It was about culture, identity and the power of food to unite people.
“This wasn’t just Jollof rice,” said a supporter in the crowd, lifting his plate high like a trophy. “This was Nigeria on display.”
Since breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon in 2023, Hilda has become a symbol of resilience, ambition, culinary skills and cultural pride. This latest attempt reaffirmed her status not just as a chef, but as a storyteller of Nigerian heritage, using food as her language.
And so, while she didn’t cook 250 bags as originally planned, the 200 bags were more than enough. They carried with them the story of a nation, the spirit of a people and the aroma of a dish that has long been at the heart of West African identity.
As the last grains of rice were scooped from the pot and the crowd dispersed, one truth remained clear: Hilda Baci had served more than food, she had indeed served history.
