By Prosper Mene
The mother of celebrated Nigerian chef Hilda Baci has opened up about the spiritual and emotional journey behind her daughter’s latest Guinness World Record achievement: the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice, weighing an astonishing 8,780 kg (19,356 lb 9 oz).
Speaking virtually during Pastor Jerry Eze’s NSPPD online morning service on Tuesday, Mrs. Bassey, who owns the popular Calabar Pot restaurant in Abuja, credited prayer, fasting, and “God’s mercy” for turning what could have been a culinary catastrophe into a triumphant celebration of Nigerian heritage.
The record, confirmed by Guinness World Records on Monday, was set during the Gino World Jollof Festival on September 12 at Victoria Island in Lagos, in collaboration with food brand Gino Nigeria.
Thousands gathered at the Eko Hotel grounds to witness the spectacle, which transformed into a lively carnival with music, dancing, and celebrity appearances, including Nollywood star Funke Akindele, who joined Baci to stir the tomato base.
The event which was originally planned for Muri Okunola Park, was relocated due to overwhelming interest, with over 20,000 people registering to attend.
Mrs. Bassey recounted the moment her 28-year-old daughter first shared her ambitious vision. “My daughter said, ‘Mommy, I want to cook the biggest pot of jollof rice.’ When she mentioned 250 bags [of basmati rice], I was shaking,” she shared, her voice trembling with emotion during the service. The custom-made pot, spanning six meters wide and capable of holding 23,000 liters, was a marvel of engineering that took two months to construct and test. Fears mounted when the pot buckled during a crane-lift attempt to weigh it, raising concerns it might collapse under the weight of rice, meat, oil, and other ingredients. “I feared the giant pot might collapse,” Mrs. Bassey admitted, but divine intervention prevailed.
Despite the initial plan for 250 bags, the final recipe used 200 bags of rice (4,000 kg), 500 cartons of tomato paste, 600 kg of onions, 168 kg of boneless goat meat, 30 gallons of oil, and 220 kg of Gino Asun and peppered chicken cubes, all locally sourced to show Nigerian ingenuity.
The cooking marathon lasted nine intense hours, fueled by 1,200 kg of gas, and was infused with Baci’s signature Asun jollof rice twist.
”About 40 minutes to go, she came to me and said, ‘Mommy, we need to pray in the Holy Ghost.’ She told the team, ‘This is the first time you people will eat rice that the Holy Ghost will cook.’ That is the kind of faith she has.”Before the cooking began, Baci and her mother shared a poignant prayer session, seeking “divine strength, protection, and endurance.”
The jollof, which yielded enough for 16,600 plates, was distributed to the cheering crowd without waste, adhering to Guinness rules. Videos captured the joyous distribution, with onlookers, some waiting all night, savoring the record-breaking meal.
This marks Baci’s second Guinness World Record, following her 2023 triumph in the longest cooking marathon (93 hours and 11 minutes), which catapulted her to national fame. Inspired by her mother’s culinary legacy, Baci has long credited family as her driving force. “Her mother is her greatest motivation,” sources close to the chef have noted, loudening Baci’s own words about wanting to make her proud.
