Nigerian celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has explained why she cooked 200 bags of rice instead of the initially planned 250 in her ambitious bid to set a new world record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style Jollof rice.
The culinary star, who rose to global fame in 2023 after her record-breaking cook-a-thon, launched her latest challenge at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos. The event attracted a massive crowd of food enthusiasts, celebrities, and dignitaries, turning the venue into a carnival atmosphere with music, dance, and special appearances by Nollywood actress Funke Akindele, dancer Kaffy, and the First Lady of Ogun State, Bamidele Abiodun.
Speaking to journalists, Hilda explained that her decision to scale down the rice from 250 to 200 bags was purely a technical necessity due to equipment limits.
She revealed:
“If you notice when we started, we weighed the pot and we need to weigh every single thing that goes into the pot when we’re done. The goal was that by the time I was done making 5,000 kilogrammes, I was hoping to achieve about 17,000 to 18,000 kilogrammes. Right now, if I include the weight of the pot, that’s about 20,000. The average crane and the measuring device can only weigh 20,000 kilogrammes. It’s safer for me to go below 20,000 kilogrammes so that my scale can carry it all at the same time and basically that is why I had to cut down on the quantity and I only cut it down by a thousand kilogrammes.”
According to her, the 200 bags of rice still amounted to 4,000 kilogrammes, enough to feed 20,000 people.
“This 4,000 kilogrammes of rice is 200 bags of rice and it will still feed 20,000 people so we’re still up there,” she added.
Hilda described the project as the most ambitious of her career, stressing that it took nearly a year of planning.
“Honestly, Gino and I figuring this whole thing out was hectic. Figuring out how to fabricate the pots, it took Mr. Ayo two months to figure out and fabricate the pots. Then it took us about nine months to plan this event and it took us almost nine hours to make the entire meal,” she revealed.
Despite the intense stress, she admitted the challenge was worth it.
“It was challenging but very exciting at the same time. We’re not done because we need to distribute the food and make sure that everybody that has come here eats to their satisfaction. So we’re still on it but so far I’m very happy with where we are and what we’ve been able to achieve today.”
Interestingly, Baci disclosed that the project was never originally intended as a Guinness World Record attempt. Instead, it was about creating a communal food experience for Nigerians.
“When I came up with this idea, I did not think about it as a world record, quite frankly. I mean, have you looked around? There’s a lot of you. Some of you came with your cooler, so we need to make sure everybody’s fed. We’re feeding the nation.”
The Guinness World Records team also joined the excitement online, posting a supportive message with a video of the event on X (formerly Twitter):
“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 comes just two years after Guinness certified Hilda Baci’s 2023 cook-a-thon, which not only earned her global fame but also inspired thousands of young Nigerians to pursue careers in the culinary industry.
