Chef Hilda Baci stirs excitement in Lagos as she cooks 4,000kg of Nigerian jollof rice in a giant pot at the World Jollof Festival. Photo Credit: IG @hildabaci
Nigeria’s celebrity chef Hilda Baci has officially launched her much-anticipated World Jollof Festival at Eko Hotel Car Park B in Lagos, drawing.
The Guinness World Record holder for the longest cooking marathon first announced the project in August and has since been preparing extensively.
Ahead of the event, she posted videos on Instagram showcasing the arrival of key ingredients, including tomatoes, peppers, onions, oil, and a specially built six-metre-wide cooking pot.
The custom-made pot, which took three months to fabricate, immediately became a social media sensation after Baci was seen scrubbing its vast interior with detergent.
“The materials were sourced from the Southwest, and assembling it took about two months. We then spent another month testing it,” she told TVC News.
Originally planning to cook 5,000 kilograms of rice, Baci adjusted the target to 4,000 kilograms (200 bags of Basmati rice), which is expected to yield 14,000–16,000 kilograms of jollof rice after cooking.
She confirmed the recipe will include a blend of spices, tomato pastes, fresh peppers, herbs, turkey stock, and a touch of goat’s milk to create a unique “Gino Asun Jollof rice.”
The event, organised in partnership with the seasoning brand Gino, is expected to attract more than 20,000 attendees.
It marks another major milestone for Baci, who gained global recognition in 2023 after completing a 100-hour cooking marathon, officially certified by Guinness World Records.
Although her record was later surpassed by Irish chef Alan Fisher, Baci remains a cultural icon, celebrated for her creativity, resilience, and passion for elevating Nigerian cuisine on the world stage.
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