Hilda Baci Sets World Record With 8,780kg Jollof Rice Dish

• Sep 16, 2025

Nigerian chef Hilda Baci has achieved another historic milestone after breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest pot of jollof rice. The record-breaking dish, cooked in Lagos last week, weighed a staggering 8,780 kilograms, according to Guinness World Records (GWR).

The feat came after nine hours of cooking and nearly ended in disaster when the massive custom-made pot buckled while being hoisted onto a crane for weighing. Thankfully, no rice was spilled. Despite the challenges, Baci and her team successfully secured recognition for their achievement, with GWR confirming the record on social media.

The chef, who became a national star in 2023 for her 93-hour cooking marathon, expressed gratitude to her team and supporters. Sharing her reaction online, she wrote: “This Guinness World Record was built on unity, love, and collective strength. We made history together, for Nigeria, for Africa, and for everyone who believes in the power of food to bring us closer. This win is yours too.”

Baci’s monumental jollof dish required extraordinary quantities of ingredients, including 4,000 kilograms of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste, 600 kilograms of onions, and 168 kilograms of goat meat. A giant steel pot capable of holding 23,000 liters was specially manufactured over two months by a 300-person team to make the attempt possible. She was supported by 10 chefs in red uniforms who stirred the food with oversized wooden spoons.

The dish was later shared with thousands of onlookers and passersby who had gathered to witness the event. For Baci, the achievement was about more than food—it was about national pride. “We [Nigerians] are the giant of Africa, and jollof is a food that everybody knows Africans for. It would make sense if we had the biggest pot of jollof rice. It would be nice for the country,” she told BBC Pidgin.

This is not Baci’s first recognition on the world stage. She won a cooking competition for her jollof recipe in 2021 before becoming famous for her cooking marathon in 2023. Although she was later overtaken by Irish chef Alan Fisher and current record-holder Evette Quoibia of Australia, her latest achievement has once again placed Nigeria in the global spotlight.