Close Call: Hilda Baci’s Giant Jollof Pot Wobbles During Record Attempt
THE much-anticipated unveiling of Chef Hilda Baci’s colossal jollof rice pot nearly turned into disaster on Saturday morning when the custom-made cauldron buckled under pressure while being weighed.
As a crane hoisted the six-metre-wide pot, its cover slipped loose, drawing sharp gasps from the restless crowd that had waited all night. A second attempt using a blue sling strap bent the pot’s legs, prompting frantic signals from Hilda’s team for the operator to halt. The 28-year-old chef, visibly shaken, circled the pot in distress as officials rushed to stabilise the weighing process.
Feeding the restless crowd
Despite the tense moment, the team quickly began transferring steaming rice into coolers, distributing takeaway packs to thousands of guests who had camped overnight for a taste of the record-breaking meal. Some lay sprawled on the floor, exhausted but unwilling to miss out.
Hilda explained earlier that the long wait was due to the sheer scale of the project. “The rice needed more time to cook evenly,” she said, adding that the massive pot made preparation unusually complex.
The free event, tagged the ‘Gino World Jollof Festival with Hilda Baci’, kicked off on Friday at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, drawing over 20,000 registered participants. Music, dance, and celebrity appearances kept spirits high even as crowd control became a challenge.
Behind the mega pot
Hilda revealed that the custom pot, fabricated over three months in Southwest Nigeria, could hold 22,619 litres. Initially, she planned to use 5,000kg of basmati rice, but later scaled down to 4,000kg (200 bags) due to weighing limits. Organisers estimated the final yield at 14,000–16,000kg of jollof rice, enough to feed tens of thousands.
To keep the signature Nigerian taste intact, the pot included carefully measured spices, tomato paste, turkey bits, turkey stock, and even horse meat.
“This was both challenging and exciting,” Hilda admitted. “It took us nine months to plan this event, two months to figure out how to fabricate the pot, and nearly nine hours to prepare the sauce and cook the entire meal.”
By 4:30 a.m. Saturday, plates of Hilda’s giant jollof were still being served.
Support and goodwill
The atmosphere lit up as celebrities and dignitaries rallied behind Hilda. Nollywood star Funke Akindele cheered her on, praising her determination and urging young women to embrace resilience. Afrobeats star Spyro, TikTok influencer Peller, media personality Enioluwa Adeoluwa, and Ogun State First Lady Bamidele Abiodun all took turns stirring the pot.
Even Guinness World Records (GWR) joined the celebration virtually, posting on X: “Best of luck to Hilda Baci, who’s attempting a new record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice today.”
From cook-a-thon to mega pot
Hilda first rose to fame in May 2023 when her 100-hour cooking marathon made global headlines, briefly crashing the GWR website from traffic. Now, she hopes her latest feat will once again put Nigerian cuisine on the global stage—despite the nail-biting drama at the weigh-in.
For Hilda, the dream is unchanged: to etch her name into history with the largest serving of Nigerian jollof ever cooked.
See more photos of her attempt at the ‘world record for the largest pot of Jollof rice’:
