A Nigerian chef named Hilda Baci has broken the Guinness World Record for cooking non-stop for four days. An article by the Agence France-Presse (AFP) published today detailed the event.
Chef Baci, who runs a catering company, cooked more than 100 different dishes from the moment she turned on her cooker on Thursday 11 May, only to stop cooking the following Monday in Lagos. The previous record was set by Lata Tandon, an Indian chef, in 2019 with a time of 87 hours and 45 minutes.
The official rules, as per the Guinness World Records website, dictate that the participant is permitted a five-minute rest break for every continuous hour of activity. So, while Baci aimed to set a record of 100 hours, almost seven hours were deducted from her total as she miscalculated and took extra minutes on her rest breaks. Therefore, her final time was 93 hours and 11 minutes.
Baci’s record attempt was live-streamed on her Instagram account @hildabacicookathon, with millions of Nigerians following her progress. Several prominent Nigerian figures also visited the kitchen, including Lagos’ state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and Nigeria's ex-vice president, Yemi Osinbajo.
According to AFP, Baci trained at the gym to stay on her feet for four days and said that her record was to help “put Nigerian cuisine on the map.” In her efforts to break the record, Baci cooked mostly Nigerian dishes, such as akara, a type of fritter made using a seasoned batter of blended black-eyed peas as well as jollof rice, a dish made from long-grain rice, tomatoes, spices and vegetables in a single pot.
To complement the rice, chicken, turkey, beef or other meats are often served with the dish. In 2021, Baci defeated other contestants in a cook-off competition titled Jollof Faceoff which aimed to discover the region’s best jollof rice.
As per the Guinness World Records website, the official rules state that all food items must be consumed after cooking. So, Baci invited all members of the Nigerian public to come and eat her freshly made meals. All the other leftover food was donated to Festus Fajemilo Foundation, a charity foundation based in Nigeria that works to provide support for individuals with disabilities.
Learn more about jollof rice through this recipe. While the recipe calls for scotch bonnet peppers, chilli powder or tabasco sauce can also be good replacements.
