Nigerian chef and restaurateur, Hilda Baci, has opened up about a tense moment during her Guinness World Record (GWR) feat for cooking the largest pot of jollof rice, when her custom-made six-metre-wide pot suddenly gave way.
In a video interview shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday, Hilda admitted the incident initially shook her confidence.
“When we had the mishap with the pot, my first few seconds, my heart was in my hands. I was very scared, very worried,” she recalled.
According to her, the collapse shifted her focus from the record itself to feeding the people who had gathered. Surprisingly, the accident turned out to be beneficial.
“For me, the record was not the most important thing. It was important that people got to taste and enjoy the food we had spent hours making. I would say it was a good thing that the pot caved because it made food distribution a lot easier… it was a blessing in disguise,” she explained.
The dramatic scene occurred on September 12 at the World Jollof Festival in Lagos.
Hilda Baci and her team prepared nearly 8,780 kilograms (19,356 pounds) of jollof rice in a pot built to hold 23,000 litres.
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As the crane hoisted the pot for weighing, one side collapsed and the support legs gave way, though the food itself remained intact.
Her team quickly ensured the process was properly documented, submitting both photographic and video evidence to Guinness World Records.
Shortly after, Hilda was officially certified as the holder of the largest pot of jollof rice cooked at one time.
Reflecting on the experience, she praised her team’s swift response
Also, she described the incident as proof that even setbacks can turn into hidden blessings.
