Nigerian chef and food influencer Hilda Baci on Saturday attempted to cook what she says is the world’s largest pot of jollof rice, drawing thousands of people to a public square in Lagos to watch the event.
Baci, 28, combined roughly 4,000 kilograms (about 8,800 pounds) of rice with 500 cartons of tomato paste and 600 kilograms of onions in a custom-made steel vessel that organizers say holds almost 23,000 litres. The dish took several hours to cook and was stirred by a team of assistants using oversized wooden spatulas. After cooking, the rice was portioned and distributed to attendees.
The attempt must be validated by Guinness World Records, which requires photo and video evidence to confirm any new record. Organizers said they collected documentation of the operation. Baci told BBC Pidgin that the project took a year of planning and that assembling the giant pot required a culinary team of 300 people working two months to manufacture the vessel.
"We are the giant of Africa, and jollof is a food that everybody knows Africans for," she said. "It would make sense if we had the biggest pot of jollof rice, it would be nice for the country." The event followed Baci's rise to national prominence after she won a jollof rice competition in 2021 and later set a Guinness World Record in 2023 for the longest cooking marathon, which lasted 93 hours and 11 minutes.
Jollof rice, a staple across West Africa, is typically prepared by simmering rice in a sauce of tomatoes, peppers and onions and is often served with meat, fish or vegetables. The dish has significant cultural resonance in the region and has been the focus of informal "jollof wars" in recent years as countries including Nigeria, Ghana and Senegal debate whose version is superior.
Organizers said the cooking site in Lagos was set up to accommodate the unusually large volume of ingredients and to ensure food safety during preparation and distribution. Local officials and volunteers assisted with logistics, crowd control and the allocation of portions to spectators and nearby residents.
If Guinness verifies the measurements and procedures, the event would add another high-profile entry to Baci's public profile, which has grown from social media food videos to high-profile record attempts. Guinness' validation process typically involves independent witnesses, precise weighing and measuring of ingredients (where required), and submission of photographic and video evidence for review.
The attempt highlights jollof rice's continuing role as both a culinary symbol and a vehicle for public spectacle in West Africa, drawing attention to culinary traditions, national pride and the growing influence of food influencers in shaping cultural conversation.
Guinness World Records had not immediately confirmed receipt or verification of the claim following the event. Organizers said they would submit the required documentation for review in the coming days.