Lagos, Nigeria — In a groundbreaking culinary feat, celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has set a brand-new record for cooking the world’s largest pot of Nigerian jollof rice. The historic event, the Gino World Jollof Festival, took place at Eko Hotel & Suites and drew a massive, carnival-like crowd of over 20,000 food lovers, celebrities, and influencers.
The audacious attempt, a first of its kind, was a testament to Baci’s ambitious vision. A custom-made giant pot, measuring six meters wide and six meters tall with a capacity of over 22,000 liters, was built specifically for the event. While the original plan called for cooking 250 bags of rice, Baci had to scale down the effort to 200 bags (approximately 4,000 kg) due to the weight limits of the crane and measuring device.
The scale of the ingredients was staggering, with approximately 1,000 kg of tomato paste, 600 kg of onions, and 750 kg of vegetable oil simmered to perfection. The cooking process itself took almost nine hours, the culmination of a nine-month planning effort. Just before beginning, Baci had a short but emotional prayer session with the lead pastor of Harvesters Church, Bolaji Idowu, adding a personal touch to the momentous occasion.
As the savory aroma of jollof filled the air, the thousands of registered guests watched in anticipation, their excitement palpable. Baci shared with the crowd that the idea was not initially conceived as a world record attempt, but as a “food experience for Nigerians” and a way to “bring people together and feed as many as possible.”
