Nigerian chef Hilda Baci has officially broken the Guinness World Record for cooking the largest pot of jollof rice.
Guinness World Records confirmed the feat on Monday, noting that the dish, prepared in Lagos last week, weighed 8,780kg. The effort nearly collapsed when the custom-made steel pot broke while being hoisted for weighing, but none of the food spilled.
Baci, assisted by 10 chefs, used 4,000kg of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste, 600kg of onions, and 168kg of goat meat. The massive dish was later portioned and shared with thousands of spectators and passersby.
“This Guinness World Record was built on unity, love, and collective strength,” she said, dedicating the achievement to her team, supporters, and Nigerians.
The chef, who previously held the record for the longest cooking marathon in 2023, said it took her a year to plan the jollof attempt. Manufacturing the giant pot required 300 people and two months of work.
Baci, who won a national jollof competition in 2021, said the achievement was symbolic: “We [Nigerians] are the giant of Africa, and jollof is a food that everybody knows Africans for. It makes sense for us to have the biggest pot.”
Jollof rice is a staple across West Africa, made with rice simmered in tomato sauce and often paired with meat or seafood.
