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Janaína Torres is a force to be reckoned with in the culinary world. She leads the kitchen at the immensely popular A Casa do Porco in her home city of São Paulo and oversees a range of other hospitality venues. Moreover, she is a fervent campaigner on food education, dining accessibility, and social inclusivity, making her a multi-tasking phenomenon.
At the heart of Torres' culinary empire is A Casa do Porco, a restaurant with international acclaim. The menu is dedicated to pork in myriad forms, as the name suggests. It boasts one of the world's best-value tasting menus and a la carte options. Guests can indulge in traditional artisan sausages, cassava croquettes, and the restaurant's signature dish: a slow-roasted pig cooked delicately for six to nine hours over an open flame. The mouthwatering dishes, combined with a stellar cocktail list, have propelled A Casa do Porco to the No.12 ranking in the world.
While the restaurant was co-founded with her chef ex-husband Jefferson Rueda, who remains her business partner, Torres has been running the culinary operations for several years. In 2023, she launched the latest menu, "Somos de Carne e Osso" (We are Flesh and Bone), inspired by her stories of human failure and success, to acclaim.
Torres' influence extends far beyond A Casa do Porco. In 2008, she opened O Bar da Dona Onça, a casual neighborhood spot in the iconic Copan building in the city center. The bar-restaurant's success helped fund the launch of A Casa do Porco in 2015. Since then, Torres and Rueda have expanded their portfolio to include an organic hotdog kiosk, Hot Pork, an ice cream shop, Sorveteria do Centro, and an accessible canteen, Merenda da Cidade. All these establishments are located in the same unflashy downtown neighborhood where Torres grew up, underscoring her commitment to her roots.
A recurring theme in Torres' career is the democratization of gastronomy. She is passionate about making high-quality food accessible to many, including marginalized communities and schoolchildren in São Paulo. She has worked with the city's government to train school cooks and improve the nutrition of 1.8 million children, replacing processed ingredients with fresh, healthy options. During the pandemic, Torres mobilized thousands of Brazilian chefs and hospitality workers to pressure the government for vital financial support. At the same time, she and her team also fed people in need during the crisis.
The best chef in the world
In 2024, Torres was honored as The World's Best Female Chef. She sees this accolade as an opportunity to showcase traditional Brazilian cooking on the global stage and to empower women to challenge machismo culture. Her social activism remains as vibrant as ever, and she is determined to use this award's attention to make a positive impact.
Janaína Torres is not just a chef; she is a visionary leader, a passionate advocate for social justice, and a true ambassador for Brazilian cuisine. Her dedication to her craft and community has set a new standard in the culinary world, inspiring countless others to follow in her footsteps.