Food has been the driving force for change in Janaina Torres' life. At 11 years old, this Brazilian started selling yogurts and sandwiches on the streets of São Paulo that she prepared at home; at 49, she holds the title of best chef in the world 2024 by The World's 50 Best Restaurants.
"The cuisine is a place of opportunities. You can start by washing dishes and end up being a great chef," she says in a calm tone over the phone. Self-taught and with an unlimited curiosity, when she heard her name at the gala that crowned her in the world of gastronomy, the first thing that came to her mind was those beginnings. "For me, it was an unexpected recognition." The previous year she had already been chosen as the best chef in Latin America, but shining beyond her continent was not something she had considered. "Many chefs think about being media personalities. They can become one and yet not be relevant in their close environment." And that doesn't align with her.
"For me, success is feeding many people and being known in your area, where you have your restaurant." That's the challenge and magic of all this. Seven years ago, Torres opened, encouraged by Ferran Adrià and alongside her then-husband, Jefferson Rueda, A Casa do Porco (a Michelin Guide Green Star), which ranks 12th among the 50 best restaurants in the world.
"From the beginning, we had lines at the door," she proudly says. In this dining room, the only and main protagonist is the pig. "It's a project based on an ingredient with a 10-course proposal." The price: 60 euros. "It's one of the most accessible tasting menus in the world." The term accessible is repeated throughout the conversation; in the philosophy of this committed and kind Brazilian, there is always an intention to bring people closer to what she does. "The taxi drivers who pick up tourists at the airport always recommend my dining room." That fills her with pride because both can enjoy her cuisine, the one that carries Brazil in its DNA.
That concept accessible to all budgets played a key role in being chosen the best chef on the planet. "I have a great privilege of always having many people eager to eat at my establishments." She didn't need awards to sell more.
She speaks in the plural because with the same dedication, she also manages an ice cream parlor (Sorveteria do Centro), a hot dog space (called Hot Pork) where they make everything from the bread to the mustards, and a food house (Merenda da Cidade), where the daily special costs around 7 dollars. "We serve between 280 and 320 lunches a day," with fresh fruit juice, dessert, and bread included. The first space she opened back in 2008 in São Paulo, the city where she was born and raised, was O Bar da Dona Onça, a neighborhood spot located in the Copan building - designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer - where she already won the affection of her people with her stews cooked in a pressure cooker. "It was undoubtedly the greatest success of my professional life," she says convincingly.
Next October (on the 5th and 6th), the chef will travel to Madrid to participate in the prestigious international festival Chefs on Fire - where everything revolves around embers, wood, and fire - to be held at the Real Jardín Botánico de Alfonso XIII, at the Complutense University of Madrid. "It's a unique opportunity to give visibility to the cuisine of my country," she explains enthusiastically. Another characteristic of her career has been to value the flavors of her land, which she believes are still not known as they deserve.
The other part of her work focuses on education. "Cooking opened the doors to another world for me. I started making money, getting to know places, cultures... Food encompasses all the subjects you need to navigate through life. Coming from humble origins, she had to start working too early. "My story is very different from that of most chefs." Now she doesn't waste a minute. "Every day I study and learn something new."
From her commitment to that environment, to her people, programs with the Brazilian government have also emerged to improve nutrition in schools. Her origins have always guided her path. "We train cooks to teach them to replace processed and industrialized products in lunches with fresh ingredients," she says. The initiative benefited over two million students in the city of São Paulo. During the pandemic, she contributed by cooking for the less fortunate while mobilizing to demand support from the government for her sector.
On her left arm, Janaina sports a tattoo reminiscent of a jaguar's skin, an animal that fascinates her, among other things, for its strength and observation skills. She already has her next project in mind. "It will be a restaurant and cultural center, where we will try to make people familiar with the culture, gastronomy, and music of each region of the country," she says.
There are no set dates for the opening yet, she only knows that it will be in her neighborhood, close to her people and the samba school of which she is the director. That's the rhythm of this Brazilian.