Nigerian chef, Hilda Baci under fire for walking barefoot in jollof pot ahead of event
Popular Nigerian chef, Hilda Baci, has come under criticism after a video surfaced showing her walking barefoot in the massive pot she is using for her attempt to cook the world’s largest jollof rice.
The video, which emerged just hours after the cook-off commenced, captured the Guinness World Record hopeful inside the pot, cleaning it with water and dishwashing liquid before cooking began.
While some fans dismissed the act as harmless since it happened before food preparation, others expressed discomfort over the optics. A medical doctor, identified as Adeshina (@the_beardedsina) on X, strongly condemned the act, stressing its psychological impact.
“There is a mental optics that comes with seeing Hilda walk in the pot with bare feet, in which food will be prepared in and given to people to eat. The brain can’t detach the two scenarios and it is an unpleasant one,” he wrote.
The post has since gone viral, sparking heated debate on social media. While critics argue that it was unhygienic and unnecessary, supporters counter that the pot was being cleaned and no food had yet been prepared in it.