Two years after her historic Guinness World Record for marathon cooking, Chef Hilda Baci is chasing yet another feat.
This time, the 28-year-old celebrity chef is set to cook what she calls the ”world’s largest pot of Nigerian jollof rice.”
The free event, tagged Gino World Jollof Festival with Hilda Baci, kicked off on Friday at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos.
Hilda announced earlier that over 20,000 participants had registered, with fans and celebrities already thronging the venue.
Long queues formed outside as attendees verified their registrations, while security tried to control the surging crowd.
The giant custom-made pot measures six metres wide and six metres tall, with a capacity of 22,619 litres.
Initially, Hilda planned to use 5,000 kilogrammes of raw basmati rice, about 250 bags.
However, due to weighing challenges, she said she reduced it to 4,000 kilogrammes, or 200 bags.
She described the attempt as “history in the making,” adding that no guest would pay to enjoy the massive serving.
Ahead of the event, videos showed Hilda and her mother praying at the venue beside the towering pot.
READ ALSO: Finally! Hilda Baci’s Record For Longest Cooking Marathon Is Confirmed
In another clip, the chef climbed inside the giant cauldron to wash it herself, joking about her unusual cleaning position.
“Yes, I can officially confirm this pot is squeaky clean,” she wrote on Instagram. “I rolled up my sleeves and washed it myself.”
The chef reassured fans that the food would be “the most amazing, hygienic meal you’ve ever eaten.”
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Hilda also said she had dreamed of this challenge nearly two years ago, after her marathon cook ignited national pride.
“Now, with you, that dream is coming alive,” she wrote. “Because what is jollof without you to share it with?”
Behind The Giant Pot: What It Takes
Chef Hilda revealed that the massive pot was custom-fabricated in the Southwest, a process that lasted nearly three months.
She explained that sourcing the materials alone took about two months, while assembling and testing the giant pods took another month.
She estimated the rice would expand to 14,000–16,000 kilogrammes once cooked, feeding tens of thousands.
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Despite the scale, Hilda insisted the recipe would retain its Nigerian flavour.
She said she applied “mathematics and eyeballing” to balance quantities, adjusting seasoning as the cooking progressed.
The jollof, she added, would feature turkey stock, turkey bits, and horse meat for richness.
Ingredients
The cooking will use 1,000 kilogrammes of tomato paste (about 500 cartons, with 200 cartons each of different Gino variants), 600 kilogrammes of onions, and 750 kilogrammes of vegetable oil.
She will also use Fresh cayenne pepper, paprika, thyme, basil, garlic, ginger, and other spices.
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According to her, the result would be “a very robust and very expensive pot of Gino Asun-Jollof rice.”
In May 2023, Hilda became a household name when she completed a 100-hour cooking marathon in Lagos.
Hilda attempted this record to “put Nigerian cuisine on the map” and “to inspire young African women to chase their dreams.”
GWR stated that Baci’s cook-a-thon was so popular that its website crashed for two days due to the unprecedented volume of traffic.
Several high-profile Nigerian figures visited Hilda to support her during her record attempt. She also received support from then-President Muhammadu Buhari, then Vice President of Nigeria, Professor Yemi Osinbajo; the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu; and award-winning singer Tiwa Savage.
The record-breaking attempt also sparked a wave of Guinness challenges across Nigeria, boosting her status as a food influencer.
Now, she hopes to etch her name once again in culinary history with the biggest pot of jollof rice ever made.
