Nigerian celebrity chef and Guinness World Record holder, Hilda Baci, has explained why she decided to cook 200 bags of rice instead of the 250 bags she first announced in her new record-breaking attempt for the largest serving of jollof rice.

At the event held at Eko Hotels, Lagos, Baci said the change was necessary for safety and technical reasons during the weighing process.

She explained that both the giant pot and every ingredient had to be weighed, but the available crane and scale could only carry up to 20,000 kilograms. To avoid exceeding that weight, she reduced it to 200 bags of rice.

According to Baci, the custom-made pot and its content would have gone beyond the crane’s weight limit. To avoid risk, it was safer to stay within the 20,000-kilogram mark.

The chef pointed out that even with the reduction, the attempt was still a historic one. “Cooking 200 bags equals 4,000kg of rice, enough to feed 20,000 people,” she said proudly.

The event turned into a festival as thousands of food lovers, celebrities, and top guests came to witness it. The celebration featured live music, dancing, and celebrity appearances.

Baci described the project as the biggest challenge of her career, noting that she and her team spent almost a year planning everything.

She thanked her sponsors and her team for their support, saying it took nine months of preparation and about nine hours of actual cooking to finish the meal.

The chef also revealed that fabricating the large pot alone took two months, and though it was stressful to organize, seeing the dream come alive made it all worth it.

Meanwhile, the Guinness World Records team in London encouraged her on social media, sending her good wishes for the massive record attempt.