The chef believes her “bold step” will “tell some of the positive stories that come from Africa through the meals that we make” as the world waits for the formal confirmation of the records.
Hilda Bassey was focused solely on breaking the world record for the longest cooking marathon when she turned on the cooker at 4:00 pm on May 11 in the affluent Lekki neighborhood of Lagos State.
Before the raucous crowd in Nigeria’s thriving commercial city encouraged her to a historic cook-a-ton, she had already set the target for herself.
Two months before she became a household name, the chef said on March 14 on Channels Television’s Rubbin Minds, “I am currently in the process of attempting to break a Guinness Book Record while setting a record in Nigeria because it has never been done here before.”
The record-holder Lata Tondon cooked for 87 hours and 45 minutes in the Indian city of Rewa before setting out on this challenging mission.
But over the course of four days at the Amore Gardens in Lekki, the chef better known as Hilda Baci prepared more than 100 primarily local delicacies in an effort to break the previous world record of 96 hours.
On Monday, she beat the record and, at 4:00 on the same day, achieved the 96-hour mark. Though it claimed to still be assessing her achievement, Guinness World Records.
The nearly 68-year-old organization tweeted in answer to a question, “We’re aware of this incredible record attempt, we need to analyze all the evidence first before officially confirming a record.
The cook-a-ton was aired on Instagram and YouTube, but there were no organization representatives present.
The 27-year-old, however, achieved 100 hours just after 8 o’clock in the evening, spurred on by the enthusiastic crowd that was gathered outside her windowed kitchen where history was created.
Hilda was given a five-minute rest period every hour, which she was allowed to accrue. She received medical care during the breaks, as well as foot massages to keep her going.
She has become a social media and national celebrity as a result of her historic decision, as was to be expected. Her tale has garnered headlines all across the world, and she has been one of the top topics on Twitter for days.
Following the development, the location became somewhat of a Mecca for the nation’s officials and celebrities.
Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was one of the first to enter the Amore Gardens; he did so on Sunday. There, he praised Bassey for her tenacity and for making the city proud.
The governor praised the winner of the 2021 Jollof Faceoff, calling her “truly remarkable” for her commitment, passion for cooking, and desire to promote our rich cultural heritage by showcasing not only our food but also the spirit of Lagos and Nigeria as a whole, which has come to be known for its resilience, determination, and teamwork.
The Akwa Ibom native received a call from Vice President Yemi Osinbajo virtually simultaneously with his visit.
President Buhari also offered his best wishes to the chef on Monday, and governors, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and other notables have praised the chef for setting the record.
The chef believes her “bold step” will “tell some of the positive stories that come from Africa through the meals that we make” as the world waits for the formal confirmation of the records.
