The chef, businesswoman, activist, mother and standard-bearer of Brazilian and Latin American cuisine Janaína Torres is, as of this Thursday, the best chef in the world. Co-owner of award-winning gastronomic initiatives in São Paulo, such as A Casa do Porco, as well as an activist and sommelier, Torres is an all-rounder. For this reason, a few months ago she already received the title of best female chef in Latin America.
Both awards are given by the prestigious ranking The World's Best 50 Restaurants, from which they define her as a "bold, powerful woman with a voracious appetite."
Also known as Lady Jaguar, a nickname that responds to the characteristics she shares with this feline − "she is patient, observant and waits for the right moment to attack," they add from 50 Best −, this cook who grew up in a humble family. family from São Paulo and who at the age of 11 was already working to help at home, has managed to position his restaurant among the best on the planet.
Before that, she worked in nightclubs, was a sommelier and was an ambassador for a well-known beverage brand, where she met her ex-husband Jefferson Rueda, who cooked at the exclusive Pomodori restaurant. With him she opened her first establishment, Dona Onça, an informal space located in São Paulo that combines cocktails and gastronomy, and that has affordable prices.
The success of Dona Onça led them to open another establishment in 2015, A Casa do Porco, where they would give all the prominence to the pork, encouraged by Ferran Adrià, who was delighted with their way of cooking it. This restaurant is currently ranked twelfth on The World's 50 Best Restaurants. In it, the pork is still at the center and is served in different shapes and textures, without wasting any part of the animal.
It was at Casa do Porco where she assumed a more relevant role in the kitchen, and her creativity and knowledge of traditional Brazilian cuisine came to light, which she put into her tasting menu. In 2021, after separating from her husband and agreeing that he would take care of the farm and she would take care of the restaurant, she focused on her career and continued training, starting new studies and traveling throughout Latin America.
This training brought new Brazilian ingredients and techniques to the kitchens of her establishments and also helped her "better understand flavors" and increase her "desire to tell stories through food," they explain from 50 Best. Her culinary career, however, did not take her away from her humble origins – she has always tried to ensure that the menu prices of her proposals are not exorbitant – and she has also dedicated time and energy to various social projects. .
Among other achievements, he reformed the São Paulo school meals program to bring healthy foods to the two million children who live in this city. During the pandemic, she also nourished the homeless and joined with other Brazilian chefs to pressure the government to provide them with financial support, an activism that led her to win the 2020 American Express Icon Award.
With this recognition, Torres takes over from Mexican chef Elena Reygadas, a passionate defender of Mexican biodiversity and sustainable production, and one of the most famous culinary figures in her country.
"I hope to inspire the next generation of chefs and continue building a legacy for Brazilian gastronomy, together with my community. For me, this award represents an important platform to give visibility to education through and for food, which I consider essential for a fairer future in my country and around the world," said Janaína Torres in a statement.
