The mother of celebrity chef Hilda Baci has credited her daughter’s Guinness World Record for the largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice to prayer, fasting, and God’s mercy, affirming, “What God cannot do does not exist.”
She recalled Hilda telling her about her bold plan to prepare a six-metre-wide pot of rice with 250 bags of basmati.
“My daughter said, ‘Mommy, I want to cook the biggest pot of jollof rice.’ When she mentioned 250 bags, I was shaking.
“When she sent me the video of the pot, I said, what kind of rice is this one? That pot was like my office. I was afraid,” she said.
She said they immediately turned to fasting and prayer, asking for God’s guidance and blessing over the record attempt.
“She told me, Mommy, we have to fast all through this week. And we started. I joined NSPPD every morning, prayed all through the night, and put the picture of the event before God.
“I said, Father, what you did before in Amore Garden, do it again in Eko Hotel. A season of good news must not turn to shame,” she testified.
Baci’s mother confessed she was worried that the massive pot could give way under the weight of the rice, meat, and oil.
“Even the cover of that pot, people could not carry it. They had to bring in cranes to lift it. I prayed, Father, this pot I hand over to you.
“It was made by man, but you are God. May it not leak. Because if it leaked, the flame and the gas would catch fire. That would have turned joy to disaster. But God did it,” she said.
She disclosed that the final preparation consumed 200 bags of rice, 20 goats, 30 gallons of oil, along with large amounts of tomato paste and seasoning.
“That pot swallowed everything. By Saturday it had been carried to the venue. I walked in, touched it, and told God, what I am afraid of will not happen. And it ended in praise,” she said.
Bassey’s mother also narrated how, close to the end of the cooking, her daughter rallied everyone in faith.
“About 40 minutes to go, she came to me and said, ‘Mommy, we need to pray in the Holy Ghost.’ She told the team, ‘This is the first time you people will eat rice that the Holy Ghost will cook.’
“And I smiled. That is the kind of faith she has,” she said.
She added that Guinness officials later weighed the pot with a crane and confirmed the record, without any setback.
Breaking into gratitude, she said, “Guinness has called us. My daughter has broken the record two times. Two times record holder. Who is Hilda? Who is Hilda’s father? Who is Hilda’s mother?
“What is our family name? For us to pull such a crowd, it can only be God.”
The proud mother said the sight of the massive turnout at the venue left her overwhelmed.
“When I saw the crowd, I just said, what God cannot do does not exist. Father, no one will collapse here, no death, no accident, no evil report. And that was how it ended,everything in praise,” she said.
On Monday, Guinness World Records confirmed the achievement, stating, “New record,”Largest serving of Nigerian-style jollof rice – 8,780 kg (19,356 lb 9 oz) achieved by Hilda Baci and Gino in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.”
Baci herself also celebrated on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “We have done it again #nigeria #hildabaci.”
The chef, who rose to prominence with her Guinness cook-a-thon attempt in 2023, now boasts two world records, solidifying her status as one of Nigeria’s leading culinary figures.