Nigerian celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has clarified why she opted to cook 200 bags of rice instead of the planned 250 in her quest to set a new world record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style Jollof rice.
Baci, who first gained global fame in 2023 with her record-breaking cook-a-thon, began her latest culinary challenge on Friday at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, attracting thousands of fans, celebrities, and dignitaries. The festival atmosphere featured music, dancing, and appearances from stars such as Funke Akindele, Kaffy, and Ogun State’s First Lady, Bamidele Abiodun.
Explaining the adjustment, Baci said the decision was purely technical:
“The measuring crane and scale designed to weigh the final dish had a limit of 20,000 kilogrammes, including the pot. To avoid exceeding that limit, I scaled down. So instead of 250 bags, I did 200 — which still gave us 4,000 kilogrammes of rice, enough to feed 20,000 people.”
She described the feat as her most ambitious project yet, noting it took almost a year of planning and nearly nine hours to prepare the meal.
While initially not conceived as a Guinness World Record attempt, Baci framed the challenge as a national food experience:
“This was about bringing people together and feeding as many as possible. Some people even came with their coolers — we’re feeding the nation.”
Guinness World Records itself joined the buzz online, posting encouragement on X (formerly Twitter):
“What’s cookin’? Best of luck to @hildabacicooks who’s attempting a new record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice today.”