Nigerian Chef Hilda Baci Sets Guinness Record With World’s Largest Serving Of Jollof Rice

Nigerian chef Hilda Baci has returned to the Guinness World Records with another culinary feat, this time preparing the world’s largest serving of jollof rice, a dish central to West African cuisine and regional rivalry.

Working with food brand Gino Nigeria, Baci cooked 8,780 kilograms (19,356 pounds) of jollof rice at an event on Victoria Island, Lagos, drawing thousands of spectators and live performers. The massive meal produced 16,600 plates of rice, all distributed under strict no-waste rules.

Baci, whose real name is Hilda Bassey, said the record took “nine hours of fire, passion and teamwork” and required 1,200 kilograms of gas. Her recipe featured 4,000 kilograms of basmati rice, 164 kilograms of goat meat, 220 kilograms of chicken cubes, and 600 kilograms of her signature pepper mix.

“It’s a lot of hard work but really satisfying to achieve the record,” she said. “This achievement also belongs to the people of Nigeria as they all contributed.”

Jollof rice, a tomato-based dish popular across West Africa, is at the center of a long-running cultural debate between Nigeria and Ghana over whose version is superior. Baci’s record has added new fuel to what has become known as the “Jollof Wars.”

While Guinness World Records lists a category for the largest serving of Ghanaian jollof, it remains unclaimed, leaving room for a potential Ghanaian challenge.

Baci first rose to prominence in May 2023, when she captured international headlines by cooking non-stop for 93 hours and 11 minutes, breaking the record for the longest individual cooking marathon. That attempt attracted global attention, briefly crashing the Guinness World Records website as fans rushed online for updates.

Her achievement inspired a wave of record-breaking attempts across Africa. But the marathon category has since been surpassed twice, most recently in February 2024, when Australian chef Evette Quoibia cooked for 140 hours and 11 minutes, eclipsing Baci’s mark.

At Friday’s event, chants of “Hilda, we want jollof” broke out as attendees waited for a taste of the record-breaking meal. Videos shared on Baci’s Instagram showed crowds receiving plates, many praising the taste of the dish.

For Baci, the record was not just about size but about community. “It was served with joy, love and community,” she said.