Celebrity chef Hilda Baci is once again making history—this time with a bid to cook the world’s largest pot of Nigerian jollof rice.
The free event, tagged Gino World Jollof Festival with Hilda Baci, kicked off on Friday at Eko Hotel and Suites, Lagos, with over 20,000 people registered to attend. Fans, celebrities, and food lovers thronged the venue, forming long queues as security struggled to manage the surging crowd.
At the centre of the festival stands a giant custom-made pot, measuring six metres wide and six metres tall, with a capacity of 22,619 litres. Originally designed for 5,000kg of basmati rice, Hilda said she scaled it down to 4,000kg (about 200 bags) after weighing challenges.
Calling it “history in the making,” she promised that no guest would pay to enjoy the massive serving.
Ahead of the event, videos showed her and her mother praying beside the towering pot. In another clip, Hilda climbed inside the cauldron to scrub it herself, joking: “Yes, I can officially confirm this pot is squeaky clean.”
The pot, custom-fabricated in Southwest Nigeria over three months, was designed to expand the rice to 14,000–16,000kg once cooked—enough to feed tens of thousands. Despite its scale, Hilda said the recipe would preserve authentic Nigerian flavour, with turkey stock, turkey bits, and horse meat adding richness.
Ingredients for the mega meal include:
- 4,000kg of basmati rice
- 1,000kg tomato paste (500 cartons of Gino variants)
- 600kg onions
- 750kg vegetable oil
- Fresh peppers, paprika, thyme, basil, garlic, ginger, and spices
She described the result as “a very robust and very expensive pot of Gino Asun-Jollof rice.”
Hilda rose to fame in May 2023 after completing a 100-hour cooking marathon in Lagos, which Guinness World Records confirmed as a record-breaking feat. That event drew nationwide support, including from former President Muhammadu Buhari, then-Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, and singer Tiwa Savage.
Her latest attempt, she said, is about putting Nigerian cuisine on the global map and inspiring young African women: “What is jollof without you to share it with?”
Source: ChannelsTV
