Nigerian chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has opened up about the dramatic moment her custom-made jollof rice pot collapsed during her record-breaking feat.
The incident occurred on September 12 at the World Jollof Festival in Lagos, where Hilda and her team cooked nearly 8,780 kilograms (about 19,356 pounds) of jollof rice in a six-metre-wide pot designed to hold 23,000 litres. As the pot was being hoisted for weighing, one side gave way and its support legs buckled, though the food remained intact.
Speaking in a video interview shared on X on Tuesday, Hilda admitted the mishap initially left her shaken.
“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 said.
She explained that, for her, feeding people was more important than the record itself, noting that the collapse surprisingly made food distribution easier.
“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,” Hilda added.
Despite the setback, her team quickly ensured the process remained credible and well documented. Guinness World Records later certified her as the official holder of the largest pot of jollof rice cooked at one time.