Lagos Nigeria (Commonwealth Union)_Imagine being on your feet for more than four days. That’s what Nigerian chef Hilda Effiong Bassey has been doing, cooking non-stop for one hundred hours! Bassey decided to attempt breaking the Guinness World Record for the longest-ever cooking session by an individual and is now awaiting certification by the Guinness authorities to make it official. She cooked almost thirteen hours more than the current record-holder Indian chef Lata Tondon who set a record in 2019 at 87 hours and 45 minutes.
Bassey became an instant celebrity in her hometown of Lagos and a national sensation when word got around that she was attempting to break the world record. The attempt erupted to resounding applause and cheering on Monday, May 15th. Her marathon cooking effort which began last Thursday held the entire country in awe, with even President Muhammadu Buhari, politicians, and celebrities including Nollywood stars, musicians, and singers being by Bassey’s side as she successfully went on to break the Guinness World record.
The 27-year-old chef who is known on social media as Hilda Baci, was cheered on by hundreds of supporters camping outside the center where the event was being held, watching her make a range of dishes including jollof rice, pasta, and the bean flour dish, akara. She actually prepared over 100 meals, each designed to showcase the best of Nigerian cuisine saying she was motivated to put Nigerian food on the global map, calling it the best cuisine out there and the best comfort food.
Despite not sleeping for more than four days, Bassey never let her spirits drop. She danced and waved her hands at all her supporters who came in large numbers to watch this wonder-chef in her cook-a-thon. In fact, one man traveled twelve hours and hundreds of kilometers to be there in support.
However, all was not easy for the young chef, who nearly gave up on the first day, which she opined was the most difficult. Ready to give up after just six hours, she felt a miracle empowered her to continue and once she passed the current record, she decided to make it a one-hundred-hour record.
