Since January 1st, a chef from Ghana has been cooking regional dishes on live television in an effort to set a new record for the longest continuous cooking session.
On Friday afternoon, Failatu Abdul-Razak had been cooking for over 110 hours at a hotel in Tamale, a city in the north. Her goal is to surpass the Guinness world record for the longest cookathon of 119 hours and 57 minutes, currently held by Irish chef Alan Fisher.
The nation of West Africa is enthusiastically supporting and celebrating the world record attempt.
According to Isaac Sackey, the president of the Chefs’ Association of Ghana, Abdul-Razak has brought recognition to Ghana and therefore deserves to be honored.
In recent times, West Africa has witnessed an increase in the number of attempts to break world records in various categories. One such instance was when Nigerian chef Hilda Baci achieved the world cooking record in May by performing for 100 hours straight, but was later surpassed by Fisher.
The organization of Guinness World Records has not yet issued a statement regarding Abdul-Razak’s effort, which may reach 120 hours on Saturday.
Many notable figures, including celebrities and government officials, as well as numerous community members, have made their way to the Modern City hotel in Tamale to witness the chef’s record-breaking attempt. Guests have been enthusiastically dancing, singing, and indulging in the delicious food as they eagerly wait for the 120-hour mark.
Earlier this week, Mahamudu Bawumia, the vice-president of Ghana, shared a post on Facebook discussing the recent incident and also contributed 30,000 Ghanaian cedis (£1,981) towards the chef.
“He encouraged her to strive for excellence.”
At the beginning, Abdul-Razak stated that her effort was a task for the entire nation of Ghana and its people. Some of the meals she has cooked include banku, which is a soup with fermented cornmeal balls, and the popular spicy jollof rice commonly eaten in West Africa.
She stated, “In the event of my failure, I am not only letting down our president, but also Ghanaians, those who have supported and mentored me, as well as my family and friends.”
According to the rules, she can take five-minute breaks every hour or save up to one hour after working for 12 hours straight.
There have been worries expressed about the potential emotional strain on the chef involved in this project. Recently, Afua Asantewaa Owusu Aduonum, a well-known figure in Ghanaian media, had to stop her effort to set a new world record for the longest duration of singing due to her medical team’s concern about her mental well-being.
According to Annabella Osei-Tutu, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Ghana, the thrill of breaking records motivates individuals to continue their efforts. She explains that the intense media attention surrounding record-breaking attempts can temporarily fuel individuals with adrenaline, but they may experience physical exhaustion afterwards.
Source: theguardian.com
