For more than four days, Hilda Bassey, known on social media as Hilda Baci, chopped, fried and stewed non-stop. She stood in the kitchen for 100 hours without sleeping, without a proper break – longer than anyone before. The Nigerian chef may have secured the world record with this.
At 3pm last Thursday in Lekki, Nigeria, Bassey fired up the stove and began to cook. She wanted to cook through the whole weekend and only put down her apron and wooden spoon again on Monday at 3 p.m. Lasting 96 hours, that was the plan and breaking the record from India. The Indian chef Lata Tondon set this in 2019 with 87 hours and 45 minutes. In the end it turned out differently.
She wanted to make Nigerian cuisine better known, she told CNN. Nigerian cuisine is the best there is. The more recipes that are shared, the more people would be willing to try them, the chef said. “Nigerian food is true comfort food.” Bassey is said to have put 55 different recipes and more than 100 dishes on the plate during the cooking marathon, most of them from Nigerian cuisine. These included jollof rice and akara, a Nigerian street food made from fried bean sauce. However, all the food was not prepared for the bin. Guests were invited to the world record attempt and were allowed to taste the food.
Extreme cooking did not leave the 27-year-old chef untouched. She was entitled to a five-minute break after each lesson, but her head and feet suffered. To prevent her from collapsing from overexertion and fatigue, she was medically monitored the entire time. In addition, she received cooling compresses and foot massages during the breaks. Cheered on by the many spectators who had gathered on site, she even managed to top her own target. She completed the 100 hours. She reported that she almost gave up after the first day: “The first day was the hardest. After six hours I was ready to give up. It feels like a miracle that somehow I made it here. The support Was incredible.”
Bassey previously spoke to BBC News that this attempt is proof of what young people can do with the right support and platform. The cook also received support from politicians. Among others, the governor of the state of Babajide Sanwo-Olu attended the world record attempt on Sunday. “We are proud that Hilda is making this journey in our state,” he said.
Now it’s up to Guinness World Records to confirm the world record. Since there were no official representatives on site, it must be checked afterwards whether everything was carried out in accordance with the rules. Cameras recorded the entire event and serve as evidence. “We are aware of the record attempt and look forward to receiving the evidence for our records management team to review before we can officially confirm the record,” said a spokesman for the organization.
Quelle: Guinness World Records, BBC, CNN, Twitter
