Guinness World Record holder and Nigerian culinary sensation Hilda Baci has stirred up a heated debate on social media with her recent remarks on the famed West African dish, Jollof rice.
The chef, known for her extraordinary culinary achievements, left tongues wagging during a podcast in the United Kingdom where she compared Ghanaian and Nigerian Jollof.
On her first visit to the UK, Hilda didn’t shy away from expressing her disappointment with Ghanaian Jollof, branding it as lacking in flavour.
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According to the renowned chef, who previously set a Guinness World Record for the longest cooking time, she participated in a culinary competition against a Ghanaian chef, where she sampled what was considered the best representation of Ghanaian Jollof.
“Nigerian Jollof is better than Ghanaian Jollof. I’ve been to Ghana, I’ve eaten their Jollof. I’ve done a competition with a Ghanaian chef. For him, that was his best representation of Ghanaian Jollof, and I have seen the recipe, not one…,” she asserted.
Hilda, recognized for her intentional approach to flavour building, emphasized that Nigerians take great care in ensuring their Jollof rice is bursting with taste.
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“Nigerians don’t play about flavor building. We’re very intentional about building flavor,” she noted.
Diving into the intricacies of the two variations, Hilda highlighted a distinction in the preparation methods. She pointed out that Ghanaians often rely more on the Jollof paste, a major base, while Nigerians focus on a Jollof mix that individuals create, resulting in a more robust flavour profile.
She humorously added that Ghanaians “don’t smoke their Jollof rice,” suggesting a divergence in the smoking technique between the two nations.
Despite her critique of Ghanaian Jollof, Hilda acknowledged the strengths of Ghana’s culinary landscape and urged for a more harmonious appreciation of each other’s gastronomic specialities. “I don’t know why they (Ghanaians) have been going back and forth with us because you guys have some good things that we’re not dragging with you. You don’t see Nigerians coming to drag ‘Shito’ with you,” she quipped.
Ghanaians across social media did not take lightly to her remarks which has reigned the age-old debate over which West African nation reigns supreme in the Jollof hierarchy.
Jay Gyebi of Mukase Chic described her statements as ‘disappointing’ and set the record straight over the competition Hilda participated.
She wrote: First of all, the gentleman you had the competition with wasn’t a CHEF!! I was one of the judges Most importantly, I am disappointed in this statement because everyone supported you regardless of which country we came from or which jollof we make.
has been reignited, sparking conversations and culinary patriotism on a global scale.
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