Celebrity chef Hilda Baci has explained why she scaled down her plan to cook 250 bags of rice to 200 bags in her bid to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style Jollof rice.

Speaking to newsmen at the venue, Baci said the decision was purely technical, as the measuring crane and scale had a weight limit of 20,000 kilograms, including the custom-made pot.

According to her, the 200 bags of rice, weighing 4,000 kilogrammes, are still expected to feed over 20,000 people.

“If you notice when we started, we weighed the pot and we need to weigh every single thing that goes into the pot when we’re done.

“The goal was that by the time I was done making 5,000 kilogrammes I was hoping to achieve about 17,000 to 18,000 kilogrammes. Right now, if I include the weight of the pot, that’s about 20,000.

“The average crane and the measuring device can only weigh 20,000 kilogrammes.

“It’s safer for me to go below 20,000 kilogrammes so that my scale can carry it all at the same time and basically that is why I had to cut down on the quantity and I only cut it down by a thousand kilogrammes.

“This 4,000 kilogrammes of rice is 200 bags of rice and it will still feed 20,000 people so we’re still up there,” Hilda said.

The event, which began Friday morning, has since taken on the feel of a carnival with music, dancing, and appearances from public figures, including actress Funke Akindele, dancer Kaffy, and the First Lady of Ogun State, Bamidele Abiodun.

Baci described this feat as the most ambitious of her career, requiring almost a year of planning.

She added that the cooking process itself took almost nine hours to complete.

“Honestly, Gino and I figuring this whole thing out was hectic. Figuring out how to fabricate the pots, it took Mr. Ayo two months to figure out and fabricate the pots.

“Then it took us about nine months to plan this event, and it took us almost nine hours to make the entire meal,” she revealed.

Baci found the experience rewarding, emphasising that the goal was to bring people together and feed as many as possible.

“It was challenging but very exciting at the same time. We’re not done because we need to distribute the food and make sure that everybody that has come here eats to their satisfaction.

“So, we’re still on it but so far I’m very happy, you know, with where we are and what we’ve been able to achieve today,” Baci said.

She revealed that the project wasn’t initially conceived as a Guinness World Record attempt but rather as a food experience for Nigerians.

“When I came up with this idea, I did not think about it as a world record, quite frankly.

“I mean, have you looked around? There’s a lot of you. Some of you came with your cooler, so we need to make sure everybody’s fed. We’re feeding the nation,” she said.

The event has garnered significant attention, with Guinness World Records posting a message of encouragement on social media.

”What’s cookin’? Best of luck to @hildabacicooks who’s attempting a new record for the largest serving of Nigerian style jollof rice today”, the organisation wrote on X.

The recognition comes just two years after Guinness certified Baci’s 2023 cook-a-thon, which brought her global fame and inspired many young Nigerians to explore the culinary industry.