A chef from Nigeria has entered the Guinness Book of Records for cooking nearly 9 tons of jollof rice, the national dish. The record was officially confirmed on September 15 in Lagos, as reported by RFI.
The cooking process took approximately nine hours. The massive dish included 4,000 kg of rice, 500 boxes of tomatoes, 600 kg of onions, 168 kg of goat meat, along with oil and spices. The rice was prepared in a 23,000-liter pot, which Bassey's team stirred using large wooden paddles.
"Nigerians always say: 'Nigeria is the giant of Africa.' And jollof is a dish known across the entire continent. Even if people don't know Nigeria itself, they definitely know jollof. So it's only logical that in the 'Giant of Africa,' jollof is prepared on a truly giant scale," the chef said, highlighting the national significance of her achievement.
Her previous attempt to set the record for the largest jollof rice dish just last week was unsuccessful; the giant custom-built pot meant for cooking broke down, forcing the event to be canceled.
Jollof rice is one of the most popular dishes in West Africa. It consists of rice stewed in a rich tomato sauce with onions, peppers, and spices. Different countries add variations including meat, chicken, or fish. It is not only a culinary symbol of the region but also a subject of friendly rivalry between Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal, with each nation insisting its recipe is the authentic one.
This is not the first recent culinary record set in West Africa. In December 2024, Ivorian chef Zeinab Banké set a new world record in Abidjan by preparing over 15,000 meals in 131 hours with practically no breaks. According to the strict rules, she had to work standing up, take breaks of no more than five minutes per hour, sleep no more than two hours each night, and limit bathroom visits to 30 minutes per day. All the meals she cooked were donated to orphanages, hospitals, and homeless people in Abidjan.
Arthur Aminov
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