20/09/2025

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Huge pot of Nigerian jollof rice sets Guinness record

GUINNESS World Records recently gave official recognition to Nigerian chef Hilda Baci in recognising her rice jollof, concocted in Lagos last Friday, as the world’s largest ever. Baci hailed the feat on X, where Guinness likewise confirmed “the largest serving of Nigerian style jollof rice – 8,780 kg” or 19,356 pounds and nine ounces. “We have done it again,” Baci said in reference to an earlier record, set in 2023, when she set a mark for marathon cooking with a stint of 93 hours, 11 minutes, which was later surpassed by Irish chef Alan Fisher. The accolade was an early birthday present for Baci, who turns 30 this weekend, as her hours-long effort, cooked in a pot six metres wide, came to fruition after she had poured in around five tonnes of basmati rice, 600kg of onion and 750kg of cooking oil, marinated in tomato sauce, as some 8,000 people cheered her on. The popular west African dish features rice simmered in a tomato sauce, accompanied by meat or fish – though there exist various versions across the continent. Jollof rice has its roots in the ancient Wolof empire, which stretched from what is today Senegal to Mauritania and Gambia.

Baci (centre) and staff members stir rice in a giant pot during an attempt to break the world record recently. – AFPPIC

Ben & Jerry’s was founded by two school friends in 1978. – PIC FROM FACEBOOK @BENANDJERRYS Co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s quits, says independence ‘gone’ THE co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s has resigned from the ice cream brand after saying his company known for its social activism has lost “the independence to pursue our values” under the ownership of British giant Unilever. Jerry Greenfield’s announcement follows the company’s failure in 2022 to block Unilever from selling its ice cream in West Bank settlements, which Ben & Jerry’s said would run counter to its values. Greenfield said he could “no longer, in good conscience, and after 47 years, remain an employee” of the Vermont-based company, according to a statement published on X by co-founder Ben Cohen late on Tuesday. The brand was founded by the two school friends in 1978 and acquired by Unilever in 2000. It is now owned by the Magnum Ice Cream Company, a Unilever subsidiary. Greenfield said his firm “has been silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power” at a time when the current US administration is “attacking civil rights, voting rights, the rights of immigrants and women”. “It’s profoundly disappointing to come to the conclusion that that independence, the very basis of our sale to Unilever, is gone,” he added. A Magnum spokesperson said the company remains committed to Ben & Jerry’s mission and legacy. “We disagree with (Greenfield’s) perspective and have sought to engage both co-founders in a constructive conversation on how to strengthen Ben & Jerry’s powerful values-based position in the world,” the spokesperson said. – AFP

spread. Today there is a jollof rivalry, particularly between Nigeria and Ghana, which both claim they have the best recipe, though in 2021, it was a Senegalese variant that earned a place on Unesco’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. – AFP

In the 14th century, the region was renowned for its rice cultivation, and people would prepare a dish made with rice, fish, seafood and vegetables, known as thiebou dieune . With the migration of the Wolof people across west Africa, the culinary tradition

New York City location to get Friends -inspired cafe o Coffee house from iconic TV sitcom to open in Times Square

D EVOTEES of fan favourite Friends will soon be able to sip a cup of Joey in a Manhattan recreation of the “Central Perk” cafe made famous by the sitcom. Just do not expect the coffee to cost US$3 (RM13) a cup like it did in the acclaimed television show at the turn of the millennium. The latest reincarnation of the hot drink haunt will feature plush apricot-colour couches and clipart-style logos faithful to the TV series that ran from 1994 to 2004. Central Perk Coffee Co, which already has an outpost in Boston, will run the Manhattan branch which will be based in the Times Square tourist hub and is due to open in late 2025.

Central Perk Boston.

Central Park, Phoebe, Ross, Rachel, Chandler, Joey and Monica would regularly gather in the fictious establishment. The name has been applied to a number of imitation cafes as far afield as Shanghai, China. Coffee blends offered by Central Perk Coffee Co include “We were on a ‘coffee’ break” and the “Pivot blend” – homages to two prominent storylines. – AFP

It announced the venture in a joint statement with Warner Bros Discovery Global Experiences Tuesday. “At the heart of (the Friends ) story was always Central Perk, the iconic coffeehouse and the group’s home base, set in Manhattan,” said Warner Bros Discovery Global Experiences executive Peter van Roden. A play on the name of Manhattan’s iconic

Central Perk Boston pastries.

The Orange Room at Central Perk Boston. – PICS FROM CENTRALPERK.COM