Popular Nigerian chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, is gearing up for another groundbreaking culinary challenge as she sets her sights on preparing the world’s biggest pot of jollof rice.
Baci, who became a household name in 2023 after her record-breaking cooking marathon, announced the ambitious plan in a video shared on Instagram on Monday. She revealed that a specially designed pot with a staggering 22,619-litre capacity has been built for the feat, and her goal is to fill it up to at least 75 to 80 per cent.
To reach this target, the celebrity chef calculated that she would need approximately 5,278 kilogrammes of raw basmati rice, which translates to about 264 bags. However, she explained that she has decided to work with 250 bags of rice for the attempt.
Speaking on the required ingredients, Baci disclosed that 1,583 kilogrammes of tomato paste will be used for the base of the dish. “For every kilogramme of rice, you would normally need between 0.20 and 0.35. But because this is Nigerian jollof, I’ll be working with 0.30, which means 1,583 kilogrammes of Gino tomato paste,” she said.
She added that the tomato base will be balanced across tomato paste, pepper chicken paste, and jollof paste to ensure the dish not only breaks records but also delights the taste buds. Describing the upcoming challenge, Baci promised it would result in the “most delicious and largest pot of Nigerian jollof rice ever cooked.”
Her announcement has already sparked excitement among fans and food enthusiasts worldwide, many of whom remember her 2023 Guinness World Record achievement that placed Nigerian cuisine on the global stage. This latest venture, she says, is not just about setting another record but also about celebrating the cultural pride of Nigerian jollof rice.