The giant pot in which Nigerian chef and former Guinness World Record holder Hilda Baci attempted to make the world’s largest pot of jollof rice has broken as it was being hoisted on a crane to be weighed.
Thousands of people gathered in Lagos to watch the latest world record bid from the well-known food influencer, who in 2023 held the title for the longest cooking marathon.
Her recipe for jollof, a popular West African dish, included 4,000kg (8,800lb) of rice, 500 cartons of tomato paste and 600kg of onions – all poured into a custom-made pot that can hold 23,000 litres.
The dish took several hours to cook but despite two attempts, it was not possible to weigh the enormous pot of food.
However, a member of Baci’s team told the Daily Trust news site “the record attempt will proceed for certification”.
Guinness World Records (GWR) would have to validate the achievement for it to be officially recognised – the organisation had tweeted a message of good luck to Baci, 28, in advance of her attempt.
The event was trending on social media and videos show that as the huge red pan was being lifted, one side of the pan buckled and the supporting legs gave way, however the food did not spill.
Afterwards the giant dish of jollof rice, which also included 168kg of goat meat, was divided into individual portions and distributed to the huge crowds.
The chef told BBC Pidgin that it took her a year to plan how she would tackle the mammoth challenge.
“We [Nigerians] 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.”
She was assisted by 10 other chefs in red uniforms wielding long wooden spoons to stir the food.
Manufacturing the giant steel vessel to hold her dish took a team of 300 people two months to make but one of its legs gave way at the crucial time.
Jollof rice is a staple in several West African countries, featuring rice simmered in a tomato sauce, often paired with meat or seafood.
Baci won a competition for her version of jollof rice in 2021, and then became a national sensation in 2023 when she claimed the world cooking marathon record – an exhausting 93 hours and 11 minutes, or nearly four days.
However, she was later surpassed by Irish chef Alan Fisher. The current record-holder is Evette Quoibia from Australia, with 140 hours and 11 minutes, according to GWR.
