The Brazilian runs a hot dog stand, an ice cream parlor and a restaurant dedicated entirely to pork.
In recent years, female chefs from Latin America have influenced the global gastronomy scene. This year, the Brazilian Janaína Torres joins the ranks of the "World's Best Female Chefs"; in previous years, awards were given to the Mexican Elena Reygadas, the Colombian Leonor Espinosa, the Peruvian Pía León and the US-born Mexican Daniela Soto-Innes.
"I am delighted to be named The World's Best Female Chef 2024 and to join the incredible list of those who have been recognized before me. I hope to inspire the next generation of female chefs and build a legacy for Brazilian gastronomy together with my community. For me, this award is an important platform to raise awareness of education through and for nutrition, which I believe is essential for a fairer future in my country and around the world," says the top chef.
As manager and co-owner of several gastronomic establishments such as the high-quality restaurant A Casa do Porco, the Bar da Dona Onça, the hot dog stand Hot Pork, the lunch and sandwich store Merenda da Cidade and the ice cream bar Sorveteria do Centro, Torres has taken on an important role in the culinary landscape of São Paulo. At A Casa do Porco, as the name suggests, everything revolves around pork: Torres serves homemade sausages and meat cooked over an open flame for nine hours. At a price of around 60 US dollars, it also offers one of the most affordable tasting menus in fine dining.
Torres is also actively involved in social projects and has worked with the government of São Paulo to train school caterers and improve the nutrition of 1.8 million children in just four years. During the pandemic, the chef has been involved in her community, mobilizing thousands of Brazilian chefs and food service workers to get the government to provide much-needed financial support to the industry.
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