Nigerian chef cooks nonstop for 100 hours to set new global record

A Nigerian chef set a new global record for the longest hours of non-stop cooking as she cooked for 100 hours, surpassing the current record. Hilda Baci had been cooking when she set out to beat the Guinness World Record of 87 hours and 45 minutes set in 2019 by Lata Tondon, an Indian chef. By attempting to beat the record, the Nigerian chef said she wanted to show how hardworking and determined Nigerian youths are and also as a campaign for young African women who are sidelined in society. “Even when it comes to the brands you want to work with, it is like you have to go an extra mile to be taken seriously,” said Baci, adding that she hoped too that the world would learn more about Nigerian cuisines. At 15:00 GMT on May 11, she started to cook dozens of Nigerian delicacies under supervision, ranging from soups to stew and various proteins. Jollof rice, one of the most iconic West African dishes, was also featured on the menu. 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. As thousands of locals and celebrities cheered her on at the scene through day and night, many more monitored online via several streaming platforms. After she surpassed the current cooking record, President Muhammadu Buhari tweeted that May 15 was a great day for Nigeria. “Hilda’s drive, ambition and resilience have brought great interest and insight into the uniqueness of Nigerian food,” said Buhari. As Baci neared the 100-hour mark, Kingsley Ofoma at the scene said he never doubted her to surpass the global record. “The energy here is very high and positive; everybody is having fun,” he said. “So eating her food free of charge is not even the best of it.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.