Culinary marathon! Nigerian chef who cooked for more than 93 hours sets new Guinness World Record
- Hilda Baci, 26, beat the previous Guinness World Record of 87 hours ,45 minutes
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A Nigerian chef and Instagram sensation set a new world record on Monday 15 May after she completed 100 hours of cooking.
Hilda Effiong Bassey, who goes by Hilda Baci on Instagram where she has amassed 1.5 million followers, started cooking the previous Thursday and spent almost four full days in the kitchen.
Guinness World Records has now confirmed that she’s achieved the top spot in the world rankings.
Baci, 26, began her challenge on Thursday May 11 when she set out to beat the previous record of 87 hours and 45 minutes set by Lata Tondon, an Indian chef, in 2019.
Knowing that it would be a test of endurance as much as one of culinary skill, she trained in the gym to ensure that she would be able to stay on her feet.
Hilda Baci, 26, set a new Guinness World Record for nonstop cooking last month when she managed 100 hours, beating the previous world record of 87 hours and 45 minutes
Declared Guinness World Record holder on Monday 15 May, Baci had started cooking Nigerian dishes under supervision the previous Thursday
While Baci cooked for a total of 100 hours during the four-day challenge, she had to accept an official time of 93 hours and 11 minutes because, according to Guinness, she ‘mistakenly took extra minutes for one of her rest breaks early on in the attempt’.
Yet that doesn’t do down her amazing achievement in any way at all.
Over the course of the cooking marathon in Lekki, a region of Nigeria’s capital and commercial hub Lagos, Baci prepared more than 100 pots of food.
Given that each pot contained 30-35 servings, the industrious chef had succeeded in cooking for over 3,000 people in a matter of four days.
Baci completed the challenge at around 7:45pm on the evening of Monday 15 May, stopping cooking a few minutes later.
Thousands of cheering supporters had gathered at the scene to celebrate her remarkable accomplishment.
By setting out to beat the record, Baci said she wanted to show how hardworking and determined Nigerian youths are.
She also wanted to campaign for young African women who are sidelined in society.
She managed to prepare 100 pots of food during the cooking marathon, each containing between 30 and 35 servings
‘Even when it comes to the brands you want to work with, it is like you have to go an extra mile to be taken seriously,’ said Baci.
She added that she hoped that the feat would also be a way for the world to learn more about Nigerian cuisines.
Baci had started cooking at 3pm on the Thursday, preparing dozens of Nigerian delicacies under supervision, ranging from soups to stew and various proteins.
Jollof rice, one of the most iconic West African dishes, also featured on the menu.
She had only five-minute breaks every hour and an accumulated one hour break after a stretch of 12 hours.
During that time she was able to attend to various needs, including bathing, medical check ups and resting.
As thousands of locals and celebrities cheered her on at the scene, many more followed online via several streaming platforms.
After she surpassed the current cooking record, President Muhammadu Buhari tweeted that Monday was a great day for Nigeria.
Baci said that was driven to take on the challenge to show how determined Nigerian youths. She was also keen to raise the profile of Nigerian cuisine on the world stage
‘Hilda´s drive, ambition and resilience have brought great interest and insight into the uniqueness of Nigerian food,’ said Buhari.
As Baci neared the 100-hour mark, Kingsley Ofoma who was at the scene said he never doubted that she would achieve her goal.
‘The energy here is very high and positive; everybody is having fun,’ he said. ‘So eating her food free of charge is not even the best of it.’
This was not Baci’s first success — she once hosted a television cooking show and represented Nigeria to win a regional cook-off competition to make the classic West African dish of spicy jollof rice.
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