By Washira Helene
A Kenyan chef, Maliha Mohammed, has unofficially broken the Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by an individual. Mohammed cooked for 95 hours straight, beating the previous record of 93 hours and 11 minutes set by Nigerian chef Hilda Baci in June 2023.
Baci was breaking the record set years ago by Indian chef Lata Tondon, whose record lasted 87 hours and 45 minutes.
Mohammed began her cooking marathon on August 11 at her restaurant in Nairobi. She cooked a variety of dishes, including stews, curries, and pastries. She also took breaks every hour to rest and refuel.
Mohammed said she was inspired to break the record after watching Baci’s attempt. She said she wanted to show that Kenyan women can achieve anything they set their minds to.
Mohammed’s record-breaking feat has been met with praise from the public and other chefs. She has been hailed as an inspiration to aspiring chefs and women everywhere.
“Maliha is an inspiration to us all,” said renowned Kenyan chef Peter Kamau. “She has shown that anything is possible if you set your mind to it.”
Mohammed’s record has yet to be officially confirmed by the Guinness World Book of Records. It took a long time for the organisation to confirm Hilda Baci’s record after the Nigerian chef had already finished cooking. Until confirmation from GWR, Ms. Baci remains the official holder of the award.
It is not clear how long Mohammed’s record is likely to stand, given the many attempts that have been made to break Hilda Baci’s record or set new records. While the previous record had stood for over 20 years, there has been an avalanche of attempts to break Hilda Baci’s record since she made international headlines.
However, Mohammed is confident that her record will be broken one day. She said she is already looking forward to the next challenge. She got support from her friends, family members, and other online well-wishers.
It is now left to see if GWR will officially recognise Mohammed’s challenge or not given that another Nigerian, Chef Dammy, completed 150 hours of cooking, but it was not officially recognised by GWR as she did not follow their established guidelines.
