It's now official : The Nigerian chef Hilda Baci set a new global record for the longest hours nonstop cooking as she toiled in the kitchen for 100 hours.
ADVERTISEMENTGuinness World Records has confirmed Hilda Baci has the new record holder for the longest cooking marathon by an individual.
"Following a thorough review of all the evidence, Guinness World Records can now confirm that Hilda Effiong Bassey, better known as Hilda Baci, has officially broken the record for the longest cooking marathon" the famous guide said on its website.
The 27-year-old Nigerian chef began on Thursday 11 May and continued through to Monday 15 May, cooking more than 100 pots of food during her four-day kitchen stint.
She attempted to set a record of 100 hours, however her record was logged at 93 hours 11 minutes, " because she mistakenly took extra minutes for one of her rest breaks early on in the attempt," explains the Guinness World records.
Take 5. Once an hour
The rules are drastic to achieve the longest “cooking marathon”. She has had only five-minute breaks every hour or an accumulated one hour after a stretch of 12 hours for everything else, from bathing to medical checkups and resting.
Hilda Baci still beat by more than five hours the previous record of 87 hours and 45 minutes set in 2019 by Lata Tondon, an Indian chef based in London.
Joy dominated when she achieved her 100th hour goal on May 15.
"I wanted to show how hardworking and determined Nigerian youths are and also as a campaign for young African women who are sidelined in society " Hilda Baci said.
As she became a national sensation in the West African nation, thousands who gathered at the scene sang her praises in jubilation.
During her 4 days cook-a-thon, locals and celebrities like the Nigerian singers Tiwa Savage or Burna Boy, cheered her on at the scene through day and night, many more monitored online via several streaming platforms.
The chef and influencer created an Instagram account for the event, called Hilda Baci’s Cookathon, followed by 317K people.
A way to promote Nigerian cuisines
On the menu of her cook-a-thon : dozens of Nigerian delicacies under supervision, ranging from soups to stew and Jollof rice, one of the most iconic West African dishes, typically made with long-grain rice, tomatoes, onions, spices, vegetables and meat in a single pot.
Hilda Baci said she hoped that the world would learn more about Nigerian cuisines.
After she surpassed the current cooking record, former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari tweeted to congratulate the chef.
