In Pretoria, 2,500 people armed with tongs and sausages set out to beat Japan's record of 2,220. But beyond the rivalry, it's about pride, as many say barbecuing, or braai, carries deep cultural meaning in South Africa. DW's Dianne Hawker was there to take it all in and have a taste.

Pretoria

A large group in Pretoria, South Africa, participated in an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record for the most people cooking over an open flame simultaneously, known locally as a 'braai.' Participants were required to actively cook for five minutes while adjudicators collected evidence through entry data, steward statements, and video footage. 

The event coincided with South Africa's Heritage Day, a celebration of cultural diversity, and saw many attendees wearing traditional African attire. Organizers highlighted the cultural significance of braaiing and noted that 75% of ticket revenue would support the Mbumba Foundation, aiming to feed one million people on World Food Day in 2026. Final verification of the record attempt is pending.

South Africans vie for Guiness World Record in barbecuing

You might call this a barbecue, but here we know it as a braai. And South Africa is hoping to set a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of people cooking over an open flame simultaneously. Believe it or not, it's not as simple as just turning on the grill and showing up. All cooks have to actively turn their sausages for the same five minutes over a lit flame. With adjudicator Glenn Pollard doing a thorough assessment using gate entry data, statements from event stewards and film. The final piece of evidence I need to review is video evidence taken from overhead and from the sides. So I can review that to make sure that those numbers match up everything that's written in the statements. This Guinness World Record attempt takes place on South Africa's Heritage Day, a day that celebrates the country's cultural diversity. Many people dress in colorful African print like what I'm wearing today and many others braai for the occasion. For many of those attending, breaking the record is a matter of pride due to the cultural importance of braaiing. So braai is a proudly South African term. We use braai to describe quite a number of things, such as the meat, people coming together, people coming together to celebrate. I think for us it's a big South African thing to braai. It's our way of every weekend making food. Lots of different cultures in South Africa and I think there's one thing that everyone does really well in South Africa and that's braai. Braai for me is home, braai for me is family time, braai for me is spending time with my loved ones. While it could take a few days for the final results to be released, organizers already view the event as a success. 75% of the revenue from ticket sales will go to the Mbumba Foundation, a charity that plans to feed one million people on World Food Day in 2026. We need to realize that it is within our power to make a difference and we want to use events like this to say let us get together, let us celebrate, but beyond celebrating, let us make a difference. The Guinness World Record judge is expected to make his final decision within a few days. In the meantime, these South Africans will wait, tongues at the ready, for the final results.

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