Record-breaking Nigerian Chef, Hilda Baci
Despite the general and patriarchal belief that women belong in the kitchen, are meant to cook and be good at it, men hold the positions of the richest and most successful culinary chefs in the world. In the list for the richest chefs in the world the top 5 include Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse and Thomas Keller. Only five women appear in a list from sources across the web of 25 richest chefs in the world.
The culinary industry is dominated by men despite cooking being seen as a feminine task. The world record for the longest cooking time by an individual was held by men up until Indian chef Lata Tondon held the record in 2019. Hilda Baci attempted to break the record and set a new one for 100 hours.
Hilda Bassey Effiong comes from the Nigerian region of Akwa Ibom's Nsit Ubium Local Government Area. She was born on September 20, 1996. She has a sociology degree from Madonna University in Okija, Anambra State. She was the host of the program "Dine on A Budget" on Pop Central TV, Dstv Channel 189.
According to the Information provided on Wikipedia Hilda's passion was in the culinary arts since she was a young girl. She began a career in culinary education, inspired by her mother, a chef and restaurant owner in her own right, and driven by an insatiable desire to learn. She helped her develop her culinary skills, and the zeal of the kitchen gave her a certain flair that made her stand out.
Despite her intense passion for cooking, Hilda understood the need for a well-rounded education and obtained a degree. She attended Madonna University to earn a degree in sociology. She set out with her inquisitive mind and quest for information, grasping the depths of human society and culture and deepening her comprehension of the surroundings. Despite pursuing the degree Hilda continued to be drawn to the culinary world, and this pull helped her find her true destiny. She combined her academic interests with her desire to become a chef, turning her passion for cooking into a budding career.
Hilda in March 2023 stated that she would try to break the record for the longest cooking marathon. Lata Tondon previously held the record with her 87-hour, 45-minute cooking marathon in 2019.
She began her "Cook-a-thon" record attempt on May 11, 2023. On May 15, she smashed the record. In an interview with Zikoko Magazine, she mentioned that she had the dream of breaking the world record. She mentioned she was 21 when she first considered it seriously, but she didn’t have much of a platform. She was working a 9-to-5 at a fashion retail company and didn’t have the resources. But she was ambitious and got into acting. She has appeared in several films including “Dreamchaser”, “A Walk on Water” and “Mrs and Mrs Robert”.
At precisely 7:45 a.m. on Monday, May 15, 2023, Hilda broke the record for the longest cooking marathon by a single person, clocking in at 87 hours and 50 minutes, beating the previous record holder from 2019. Hilda had originally planned to cook for 96 hours, but she then increased her goal to a 100-hour cooking marathon in order to break the record for the longest cooking marathon.
On 13th June, Hilda Baci was confirmed by Guinness World Record to be the official holder for longest cooking marathon (individual), with a time of 93 hours 11 minutes. Almost seven hours were deducted from her final total because she mistakenly took extra minutes for one of her rest breaks early on in the attempt.